澳门跑狗论坛

Federal

Schools Get $13.5 Billion in Coronavirus Package Signed Into Law

By Andrew Ujifusa 鈥 March 27, 2020 6 min read
President Donald Trump signs the coronavirus stimulus relief package in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Washington, as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Minority Leader Kevin McCarty, R-Calif., and Vice President Mike Pence watch.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The massive economic aid package passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in response to the coronavirus pandemic directs billions in federal funding to shore up K-12 education budgets, and also gives states and schools new avenues to seek waivers from federal mandates from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Education groups were already anticipating and discussing the need for another round of coronavirus aid鈥攖he package falls far short of the (at minimum) $75 billion that some, including the two national teachers鈥 unions, asked for in a March letter to Congress. What that might look like (or whether lawmakers will pass another such bill) won鈥檛 be clear for weeks.

In the meantime, however, this package 鈥減rovides historic levels of emergency funding鈥 and the prospect of 鈥渕uch-needed resources,鈥 said Carissa Moffat Miller, the executive director of the Council of Chief State School officers, speaking as the package moved through Congress.

See Also: Here鈥檚 What the Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Means for K-12 Education

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provides $13.5 billion for public school budgets, with at least 90 percent of that aid earmarked for school districts through the Title I aid formula. The money could be used to support a variety of learning needs and various activities under the Every Student Succeeds Act and other federal education laws, including helping students learn remotely if their schools are closed. Another $3 billion would be for governors to use at their discretion to assist K-12 and higher education as they deal with the fallout from the virus.

In addition, the CARES Act, which passed the Senate March 25 and the House on Friday before heading to Trump, gives DeVos the power to grant significant relief from key accountability statutes under ESSA. And it requires her to report to Congress 30 days after the bill becomes law about any recommendations she has to grant schools 鈥渓imited flexibility鈥 from several education laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The roughly $2 trillion package also includes additional aid for child care, child nutrition, and grants to provide mental health support to school communities. But its $31 billion in dedicated emergency funding for K-12 and higher education falls far short of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Great Recession-era stimulus, which provided $100 billion for education.

In a disappointment for remote learning advocates, the coronavirus package does not include dedicated funding under the Federal Communications Commission鈥檚 E-Rate program to provide internet service and internet-connected devices to students in need whose schools have shut their doors due to the coronavirus, or additional E-Rate aid for existing programs. Several Democratic senators and many educators and education associations pushed for such provisions in the bill, but came up short.

However, the $13.5 billion in K-12 education aid could be spent on supporting remote learning. And schools could also seek waivers from a provision of Title IV that caps the share of money that can be spent on internet-connected devices.

The CARES Act, which was the subject of intense negotiations in the Senate, is the third phase of the congressional response to the coronavirus; a previous bill signed by Trump relaxed rules around meals served to students, and included new provisions for paid leave.

As of late last week, the virus had led to the closure of more than 120,000 public and private schools, affecting more than 55 million students.

Waivers, Sticky Situations

Essentially, states and schools could get waivers from several accountability and testing requirements. (DeVos has allowed states to seek waivers from giving standardized tests, an option many states have seized.)

And they could also get waivers from several funding requirements about how much they spend year-over-year. Districts could also seek to use a higher share of Title IV grants to purchase devices.

Within 30 days of the bill becoming law, DeVos would also have to tell Congress if she thinks any additional waivers are necessary from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act鈥攖he federal law governing special education鈥攁s well as ESSA, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, in order to provide schools with 鈥渓imited flexibility.鈥

Although school districts are seeking significant flexibility from federal education mandates, that provision requiring DeVos to share any recommendations for new waivers from IDEA has concerned special education advocates.

In a statement released after the Senate vote, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the Senate education committee, said she 鈥渟uccessfully blocked Republican efforts to give Secretary DeVos a blank check to waive students鈥 civil rights.鈥 However, the period after the law is signed could become a tense one as the education world watches DeVos to see what, if any, recommendations the secretary makes on this front.

鈥淚 think it is important this time, more than ever, for schools and families to be doing what they can to deliver education under these circumstances,鈥 said Lindsay Jones, the executive director of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 hard for everyone. It鈥檚 not going to be perfect.鈥

The initial proposal for this third phase of federal coronavirus aid, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., earlier in March, would have given DeVos much greater power to waive portions of ESSA and other federal education law (although not IDEA).

鈥淭here isn鈥檛 a sort of straightforward, airtight answer on what is the best approach鈥 with respect to special education mandates under the current circumstances, said Danny Carlson, the director of policy and advocacy for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Schools must balance the demands for equity and students鈥 access to education with the realities on the ground.

Earlier last week, House Democrats introduced their own coronavirus stimulus legislation that included $50 billion to an emergency state education fund, with at least $15 billion earmarked for K-12 schools.

The House proposal also included $2 billion to a new E-Rate program to provide internet and internet-connected devices to students without their services who are forced to learn remotely, as well as $1 billion for Head Start. The bill specified that DeVos would get no new waiver authority.

However, lawmakers ultimately set the House bill aside in favor of the Senate legislation.

Additional Needs

The Senate is on a scheduled recess until April 20, so it will be several weeks before Congress could consider and pass another round of coronavirus aid to send to the president.

Education groups are already looking ahead to a next round of legislation in Washington. A March 25 letter to senators from AASA, the School Superintendents Association, called on lawmakers in a future coronavirus 鈥渢o ensure states do not use federal dollars to backfill cuts in state funding; and to ensure any future education technology funds flow through the already existing federal technology program for schools.鈥

There鈥檚 also a sense that more funding could be needed for programs addressing students鈥 welfare, such as child nutrition.

As for the overall amount of education money in the legislation Congress had sent to Trump, 鈥淚 think this ... is OK, given the magnitude of the overall bill,鈥 Carlson said

A version of this article appeared in the April 01, 2020 edition of 澳门跑狗论坛 as Virus-Impact Package Aims $13.5 Billion at K-12

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond鈥
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM鈥檚 Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Federal Then & Now Will RFK Jr. Reheat the School Lunch Wars?
Trump's ally has said he wants to remove processed foods from school meals. That's not as easy as it sounds.
6 min read
Image of school lunch - Then and now
Liz Yap/澳门跑狗论坛 with iStock/Getty and Canva
Federal 3 Ways Trump Can Weaken the Education Department Without Eliminating It
Trump's team can seek to whittle down the department's workforce, scrap guidance documents, and close offices.
4 min read
Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
President-elect Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump pledged during the campaign to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. A more plausible path could involve weakening the agency.
Evan Vucci/AP
Federal How Trump Can Hobble the Education Department Without Abolishing It
There is plenty the incoming administration can do to kneecap the main federal agency responsible for K-12 schools.
9 min read
Former President Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education in his second term.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP
Federal Opinion Closing the Education Department Is a Solution in Search of a Problem
There鈥檚 a bill in Congress seeking to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. What do its supporters really want?
Jonas Zuckerman
4 min read
USA government confusion and United States politics problem and American federal legislation trouble as a national political symbol with 3D illustration elements.
iStock/Getty Images