Allentown School District » News » Archived News » Allentown School District Awarded $1.9 Million in Federal Aid for Hurricane Maria Evacuees
As students across Pennsylvania returned to school this month, the state Department of Education announced that it was awarded $13 million in federal aid for the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program.
Since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last fall, the Allentown School District has enrolled students from over 400 families. ASD has been notified that the District is slated to receive $1.9 million in funding that will be used to better serve our evacuee population.
“The entire community has come together to provide resources for families who have relocated to Allentown after Hurricane Maria. In ASD, this funding will support our Newcomer Academy, ESOL programs and services that help students and their families acclimate to the Lehigh Valley,” said Thomas Parker, Superintendent of the Allentown School District.
The district has partnered with many community agencies that have helped evacuee families acquire winter clothes, ASD school uniforms, backpacks and school supplies. Additionally, the District will offer Adult ESOL classes this fall to help parents learn English so they can better understand their child’s educational experience and interact with ASD teachers and schools.
“The Allentown School District is incredibly grateful for the support of Governor Wolf and Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera who recognized the need to provide adequate funding to districts that received an influx of evacuee students,” continued Parker.
As we approach the one year anniversary of the storm, ASD is one of 17 school districts who will receive funding from Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program. This federal program is designed to provide financial assistance those who are serving a high number of students who were displaced by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria or the 2017 California Wildfires.
About the Allentown School District
The Allentown School District serves nearly 17,000 students in a network of 25 early childhood, elementary, middle and high schools throughout the city of Allentown, PA. The Allentown School District is the third largest urban school district out of 500 districts in the Commonwealth. The District’s Mission states that each and every student will graduate college and career ready by having their individual needs met through active engagement in a rigorous, safe and nurturing learning environment. Our core values reflect a commitment to excellence, partnership and equity. The Allentown School District employs approximately 2,400 teachers, staff and administrators. Founded in 1866, ASD serves students from 51 countries speaking 26 languages with nearly 90 percent household qualifying as low income. www.allentownsd.org