LEXINGTON, MA – Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-05) announced today that the American Rescue Plan includes over $1 million for the Lexington Public School district, a portion of the over $3.1 billion in emergency education funding to support Massachusetts schools and families.

"When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law last month, we knew that help was on the way. Today, I'm happy to announce just how substantial that aid will be for Lexington schools, families, and child care providers," said Assistant Speaker Clark. "With this funding, Lexington schools, and schools across the district, will be able to open their doors and provide essential services to keep the entire school community safe. This pandemic and its physical, emotional, and economic fallout have made life increasingly hard for students and families, but this funding provides vital relief to get the Commonwealth and country back on its feet."

"For a while now, there has been talk of a full return to in-person learning without the necessary funding needed to go along with it. What the American Rescue Plan means for those of us in public education is that we will be able to provide safe and supportive learning opportunities for our kids who have gone through so much this past year," said Julie Hackett, Lexington Superintendent. "The funding will help those school systems who need it most address student trauma and learning loss, and it will take care of many of the adverse conditions that have plagued public schools for so long. Many school systems will have an opportunity to finally address their basic needs by upgrading their ventilation systems in school buildings and reducing class sizes in overcrowded classrooms. I know I speak for many in public education when I say that we are incredibly grateful for this investment in a safe return to full-time, in-person learning!"

In total, Massachusetts will receive an estimated $512,000,000 for child care providers and families, $13,628,000 for Head Start programs, $1,830,128,000 for K-12 schools, and $825,467,000 for higher education institutions.

Nationwide, the American Rescue Plan provides:

• More than $120 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which will give schools the resources they need to reopen safely for in-person instruction and address the significant impact of the pandemic on students' education and well-being.
• $40 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which is awarded directly to institutions of higher education. At least half of the funding institutions receive must be distributed to students in the form of emergency grants to prevent hunger, homelessness, and other hardships caused by COVID-19.
• $39 billion in supplemental funding for child care, which will help child care providers keep their doors open and reduce costs for struggling families.
• $1 billion in emergency funding for Head Start, which will be used to maintain access to services for children and families.