‘We’re grateful’: SC providing $39 million in COVID emergency assistance to non-public schools

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC (WMBF) - The South Carolina Department of Education is providing nearly $39 million in COVID-19 reimbursements and future expenditures to 111 non-public schools from the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program.

The program was created by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act.

Lowcountry Preparatory School in Pawleys Island is already putting some of those funds to use through its summer bridge program.

With the academic school year over for the school, the focus now shifts to closing the learning gap caused by the pandemic.

“It’s literacy. It’s math and it’s also STEM and enrichment learning,” Dr. Tara Lavallee, assistant to Head of School, said.

Lavallee said they offered in-person learning for the entire school year.

That and smaller class sizes are probably why they saw an influx of students from public schools.

“Because they [students] were in virtual last year and they were going to be in virtual this year, there were those gaps that needed to be closed in deficiencies and academic capabilities,” Lavallee said.

The school was awarded $417,000.

Along with providing remedial instruction, the money will go towards upgrading technology and offsetting COVID-related costs.

“All the teachers wore masks, the students wore masks,” she said.

Meanwhile, St. Andrew Catholic School in Myrtle Beach is set to receive $1.2 million.

“Our tuition covers the salaries of the teachers and a few of the other expenses for the kids so we didn’t have a lot of fluff left over for what we had to have due to the pandemic,” Principal Deborah Wilfong said.

The pandemic also highlighted the importance of adequate technology.

Wilfong said funds will not only help them recover but plan for the future.

“Education is important to kids no matter where they go to school. They all need to have that opportunity so we’re grateful that the state is recognizing that and helping us out with it,” Wilfong said.

Here’s a list of other area schools receiving funding:

Calvary Christian School in Myrtle Beach: $210,237.00
Chabad Jewish School in Myrtle Beach: $288,513.00
Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach: $207,410.60
Conway Christian School: $186,400.00
Dillon Christian School: $59,356.39
Ebenezer Weekday Ministry in Florence: $2,347.98
Holy Trinity Catholic School in North Myrtle Beach: $503,409.82
North Myrtle Beach Christian School: $448,551.00
Pee Dee Academy in Mullins: $104,802.67
St. Anthony Catholic School in Florence: $642,724.18
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Myrtle Beach: $299,034.00
St. Michael Catholic School in Murrells Inlet: $379,216.99
The King’s Academy in Florence: $166,130.00

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