COLUMBUS, Ohio — Springfield schools will receive more than $1 million in grant funding as administrators work through an increase in Haitian migrants, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday.
According to DeWine’s office, the grant funding was allocated to schools in several communities, including Springfield, after the schools saw a significant increase in Haitian migrants over the past few years.
The Springfield schools receiving funding include:
- Springfield City Schools: $1,346,000
- Springfield Preparatory and Fitness Academy: $12,000
- Springfield Sports Academy: $12,000
The money will help provide resources to support educational needs, including translation technologies, interpreters, mental health services and more.
“Schools in Springfield and other communities that have been dealing with sudden increases in their student population have no doubt been strained,” DeWine said. “These funds will help to relieve some of this pressure and create a better learning environment for all students in these communities.”
Other communities working to address similar challenges stemming from an increase in Haitian migrants include Lima and Findlay.
Findlay City Schools will get $100,000 and Lima City Schools will receive $36,882 through the grant funding.
“Ohio educators and school leaders continue to pinpoint the learning supports needed for all students in our communities to be successful,” said Director Stephen Dackin. “These funds are part of a larger system of supports to increase literacy achievement, accelerate learning opportunities in reading and mathematics, expand career and workforce experiences, and support student wellness initiatives.”
Springfield has been at the center of a nationwide immigration debate after false claims surfaced that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating neighborhood pets.
Roughly 15,000 immigrants have arrived in the past few years in the city of about 60,000.
City leaders shared that there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten.
Those false claims were amplified by former President Donald Trump during the debate and were spread online by his running mate, JD Vance.