Districts across the Hudson Valley will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds to help them safely reopen.

The federal funds will be sent to 17 Orange County school districts to help get kids back in class and learning post-pandemic.

Kiryas Joel School District will receive the most amount of grant money, at $60 million.

Newburgh comes in second at $30 million, and Middletown will be in third at more than $17 million.

All three schools have the largest districts in the county. Funds are need-based and calculated by the number of students living below poverty level, and can be used for both public and private school needs.

There are specific guidelines for how the money can be used. The funds must be used for pandemic-related issues, and to address learning loss, the need for after school and summer school programs, mental health services. They also must include technology, public health and safety upgrades

Sen. Chuck Schumer showed support for the funds, saying, "COVID brought unprecedented challenges that have cost a year of learning and development for students—challenges disproportionately felt by students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and more."

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney also supported the package's relief. He says, "This money is going to be transformational for schools across the Hudson Valley, and it means brighter days ahead for every school district in Orange County."