The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee heard from education leaders from around the country during a hearing to discuss plans to safely reopen schools on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. The hearing was conducted at a time the Senate is weighing how best to grapple with the continued effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on state and local budgets due to the economic shutdown.
Last month, the United States House of Representatives passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act that included funds to assist state and local governments with their budgets. The Senate has yet to take up debate on the HEROES Act and according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the bill will not see any action until after Congress' July 4th recess.
Education leaders informed the Senate committee of the challenges they anticipate once they resume in-person classes. Senators were provided with information outlining the significant budget impact that reopening will have on school divisions. With deep budget cuts in state and local government programs, schools are grappling with reopening schools without the necessary resources to properly transition back to in-person instruction. Many districts are facing decisions regarding furloughs of employees and how best to provide services to students.
AASA, the School Superintendents Association, released estimates that districts would incur nearly $1.8 million in costs to meet federal health guidelines, from $640 for no-touch thermometers to $448,000 for additional custodial staff; that is just for an average school district of about 3,700 students. Additionally, the American Federation of Teachers on Wednesday released a cost analysis estimating that schools would need $116.5 billion for instructional staff, distance learning, before- and after-school care and transportation, while the National Education Association estimated that without federal relief, schools would lose 1.9 million education jobs.
If you have any questions about the topics discussed during the Senate hearing, please contact VSBA Government Relations Specialist, J.T. Kessler, at jason@vsba.org. To view the entire hearing, click here.
