Lawrence County Coronavirus Relief Funds to aid schools, other entities

Coronavirus Relief Funds will be helping Lawrence County schools navigate the precarious waters of the pandemic as they launch the new school year.

Lawrence County Commission was able to fully fund all the grant requests that met qualifications in the second round of Coronavirus Relief Fund grants. Those awards total nearly $1.3 million, the bulk of which will go for schools’ health and safety needs and technology for distance learning.

School districts asked for things like body temperature scanners and masks; Chrome books, Internet hot spots and other technology to equip students and staff for distance learning.

The remainder is going for health and safety needs of other applicants, particularly the Lawrence County Nursing Home District.

Round 2 recipients are Aurora, Marionville, Miller, Mt. Vernon and Pierce City school districts; Trinity Lutheran School; Lawrence County Nursing Home District; Village of Freistatt; the City of Marionville Fire Department, Aurora Rural Fire District; and the Children’s Smile Center in Aurora. Both Round 1 and 2 were open to nonprofits; school districts, municipalities and other public entities. Churches were added in Round 2, but none applied. Earlier recipients also included the Cities of Aurora and Mt. Vernon, Lawrence County Board for the Developmentally Disabled and Barry-Lawrence Library.

Lawrence County received just under $4.5 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds. The federal government limits its uses to costs related to the pandemic response for the period March 1-Dec. 30. Lawrence County’s share will be going primarily to public health, public safety and education.

The county has allocated more than half of those funds through two grant cycles and direct spending for public health, public safety and other needs. It is trying to determine now how much to set back for whatever the county might face in the remaining five months of the year.

The commission is considering targeting some specific needs in the next round. Details will be announced in media and posted at www.lawrencecountymo.org.

For more information:

Lawrence County Commission, 417-466-3666