The money will go towards personal protective equipment and other COVID safety precautions, as well as technology for distance learning.

Flickr / alkruse24

More than $220 million in federal coronavirus relief is headed to Virginia schools, according to an announcement from Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday.

The funding, provided by the CARES Act, will help the Commonwealth’s public schools purchase personal protective equipment and sanitation equipment, testing supplies, and technology for distance learning.

“This additional $220 million in federal funding will give our schools the resources they need to continue operating and provide Virginians with a world-class education, whether safely in person or remotely from home,” said Northam in a press release.

“Members of the Virginia Education Association have made clear throughout the pandemic that additional, necessary services require additional funding,” said Dr. James Fedderman, President of the Virginia Education Association. “This action will help keep our students safe, healthy, and learning.”

The funding was allocated based on a per-pupil formula: School districts will get $175 for every student they have enrolled for the fall.

This formula means that Fairfax County Public Schools, the state’s largest public school system, will receive $31.6 million. Loudoun County will receive $14.8 million. Prince William County will receive $15.9 million. Arlington County schools will receive $4.7 million. Alexandria schools will receive $2.8 million. And Manassas City and Manassas Park will receive $1.3 million and $597,000, respectively.

The CARES Act has freed up funds that school districts say are necessary to help them invest in technology for distance learning and address other urgent student needs.

Maryland announced a similar allocation of $210 million in CARES Act funding for education in July. D.C. public schools and a number of the city’s charter schools have also received a combined $37.8 million in CARES Act funding. Though D.C. is more populous than two states, it received about half the coronavirus relief that states did.

But many superintendents and education policy groups say more federal stimulus money is needed to stave off future school budget cuts across the country.

It is currently unclear when Congress will pass another stimulus bill; Talks between Republicans and Democrats on more stimulus have stalled. Recently, President Donald Trump said he was walking away from negotiations on federal relief, but then later backtracked and asked for Congress to approve a few stimulus measures.