Georgia teachers to receive ‘back-to-school’ supplements for supplies

Georgia teachers stocking up on supplies for the new school year will get some help from the state.  

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that every full-time public school teacher in Georgia will receive a $125 supplement to help them get their students back to in-person learning coming out of the pandemic.

The money will be provided through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Program, a federal pandemic-relief fund established by Congress in 2020.

“Through wise investments and policies that empower families while supporting teachers, students and faculty will return to the classroom stronger and safer than ever for the first full school year not impacted by distanced or remote learning,” Kemp said Friday during a back-to-school event at Ola High School in McDonough.

“We hope this $125 ‘Back-to-School Supply Supplement’ will aid in these efforts and help us close the learning loss gap caused by the pandemic.”

The supplement also will go to school staff members who work to provide instructional and supportive services directly to students.

The money can be used to buy materials, supplies, or other items that can be used to supplement classroom materials, address learning loss or mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.