BY MATT LINDSEY
North Country This Week

CANTON — Canton Central School is estimated to receive about $2.4 million in federal stimulus funding.

“We will be certainly looking closely into what the ramifications are and how we can utilize that money,” CCS Superintendent Ron Burke said. “We do know that that money is going to be multi-year funding, so it doesn’t have to be used in one year, but I believe at least three years and we’ve heard now potentially five years.”

Burke said the money would come in “handy” and is “very much needed” to address problems created by the pandemic.

Burke said many details were not known at this time, including how the money would be administered to the school.

Board member Robert Devins asked the superintendent what the rationale was in amount of funding schools would receive. Devins stated that nearby Gouverneur was slated to receive nearly double what Canton is rumored to get, and Massena school is set to receive nearly four times as much.

Burke said he believes the figures are based on dollars districts receive under “title funds.” He said different criteria included poverty, student population, and free/reduced lunch.

Burke added that superintendents have not received explanation on the exact dollar amounts each district will receive.