FEMA Awards Funds to Massachusetts for COVID School Testing Costs

08:00AM / Saturday, February 10, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $64 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of contracting to provide testing services in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $64,144,440 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the cost of contracting to provide testing at schools and in public buildings in surrounding communities between February 2021 and June 2022.

The contractor provided services which included operations and logistics of pooled testing, training, software, and technical assistance to school personnel.

The contractor also provided transportation for a total of 907,829 COVID-19 test specimens from approximately 2,400 public schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the laboratory for analysis.

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery."

FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.7 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

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Pittsfield Invited to 'Senior Study' with MSBA

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:49AM / Friday, August 14, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools has been invited to engage in a study with the Massachusetts School Building Authority as it requests funds to repair Pittsfield High.

Superintendent Latifah Phillips delivered the news to the School Building Needs Commission last week. Pittsfield has been invited to engage in a senior study where enrollment, program, and facility issues are reviewed.

While this is a good sign, it doesn't mean that PPS's proposal was accepted.

"We're still not invited into the grant program, but this is still a positive step," Phillips said.

The city is pursuing a statement of interest to the MSBA, a quasi-independent government agency, to cover up to 80 percent of the cost for renovations.

In July, the School Committee received a report card on the 1931 building's physical condition, which was described as "poor" and in need of restoration to its original character.

The senior study team will have consultants and senior architects with extensive knowledge of building systems and educational programs, Phillips said. They will visit PHS and Taconic for a few hours at the end of September.

A summation of the 284,301-square-foot building at 300 East St. describes it as being "in poor condition overall," but the condition of the finishes and overall quality of the school is said to reflect the age at which it was constructed.

"The site has issues with its asphalt paving, causing accessibility and safety concerns. The fields are in good condition. The sidewalks around the building appear to be in poor condition, with accessibility updates necessary. ADA ramps are in poor condition," it reads.

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