INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO) — Indiana is expanding its storm recovery efforts to help schools make up lost instructional time and support students and families displaced by recent severe weather.
Gov. Mike Braun said the state is deploying education support teams as schools in heavily affected areas reopen.
The Indiana Department of Education is working with school corporations to develop plans for making up instructional days lost during storm-related closures. Options could include using scheduled makeup days, adding instructional days during breaks or extending the school day.
Affected school corporations must submit their recovery plans to the state by Sept. 18. The Department of Education says it will review the plans quickly to provide guidance to schools and families.
The state also plans to open a grant opportunity to provide additional funding for schools serving students displaced by the storms. The money could help schools provide food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, students who are homeless or displaced must continue to have access to education. That includes students temporarily staying with others after losing their homes or those living in emergency or transitional shelters.
Indiana is also making specialized teams available to individual school districts to help develop recovery plans based on the needs of students, teachers, staff and families.
The efforts come as Indiana continues recovering from severe storms that affected communities across the state. President Donald Trump recently approved a major disaster declaration for Indiana, making federal assistance available to individuals and public facilities, including storm-damaged schools.
Disaster recovery resources
Hoosiers affected by the storms can now text IN211HELP to 898-211 to find disaster recovery resources in their communities.
The 24-hour service allows residents to select the type of assistance they need and provides disaster-related resources based on their ZIP code.
Residents in Carroll, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Porter, Pulaski, Randolph, Rush, Tipton, Union and Wayne counties can apply for individual assistance through FEMA.
Public assistance is available to eligible communities in Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Henry, Lake, LaPorte, Madison, Porter, Tipton and Wayne counties.
