Congressional Activity on Fourth COVID Relief Package
Last night Senate Republicans released several COVID relief bills, with the HEALS Act, an appropriations bill, as its centerpiece.
The proposed bill would provide $105 billion in new federal spending on education, including $70 billion for K-12 schools, $29 billion for colleges, $1 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education and outlying areas, as well as $5 billion for governors to spend on education. Of the funding the bill would send to K-12 schools, one-third would flow to all school districts and private schools, within 15 days of the bill's enactment, if the schools have applied for the funds.
The remaining two-thirds would be available only to help schools with additional costs of reopening for in-person instruction. That funding would be awarded based on minimum opening requirements established by states. School districts would need to send their governors a comprehensive reopening plan for the 2020–2021 school year. To receive the money, reopening plans would have to include in-person instruction for at least 50 percent of students. Those students would also have to physically attend school no less than 50 percent of each school week. School reopening plans would have to include a detailed timeline for providing in-person learning, as well as an "assurance" to "offer students as much in-person instruction as is safe and practicable."
Democrats have said tying the emergency funds to schools reopening their classrooms for in-person instruction is a non-starter for negotiations. National PTA has expressed that Congress should in no way attach incentives or conditions on federal funds for the physical reopening of schools or create voucher programs or other mechanisms to funnel public dollars to private schools in the next COVID-19 relief package.
For schools that have some in-person instruction but do not meet the requirement, a reduced allocation could be provided, as determined by each governor.
The money could be used for purchasing personal protective equipment or box lunches, implementing flexible schedules, creating physical barriers, providing extra transportation services, configuring classrooms and improving ventilation systems. The funding could also be used for creating response plans, services for students, cleaning supplies, technology and health services.
Nonpublic schools would be given an equal amount of funding based on their number of low-income students enrolled and would be subject to similar funding restrictions tied to classroom reopening requirements.
The bill does not include dedicated funding for remote learning, a request National PTA has been making for months.
The package would also allocate $15 billion to help childcare providers reopen, including $190 million for programs aimed at preventing family violence and promoting child welfare.
The bill would authorize one-time emergency funding for scholarship-granting organizations to help families pay tuition at private schools or cover other educational expenses, including homeschooling. Those "education freedom" grant funds would boost state tax credit scholarship programs Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has championed as a key school choice policy. If a state chooses not to sub-grant funds to scholarship-granting organizations, the money would be returned for redistribution among participating states.
The release of this package is just a starting point for negotiations, congressional leaders will need to negotiate a package can pass both chambers and get the President’s signature. It is expected that negotiations could last two to three weeks before a compromise is reached. Senate Democrats have asked for a total of $345 billion for education, including $175 billion for K12 education.
Take Action
We encourage you to send an email to Members of Congress (if you have not already done so), outlining National PTA’s calls for $175 billion in funding for K-12 public schools, $4 billion in dedicated funding for remote learnings, increased resources for Title I, IDEA, and family engagement on top of regular 2021 appropriations, and more funding for child nutrition programs. Please continue to post and share this action alert on social media. As reference, here is a link to National PTA’s most recent letter to all Members of Congress with our requests and a statement on Congress’ need to act now.
Stay tuned for more details and information.
Letters to Policymakers
National PTA has sent the following letters to the Hill (they will be up on the Letters to Policymakers page soon)
COVID
- July 22, 2020 – National PTA along with numerous other national groups urge Congress to provide $4 billion in funding for remote learning through the E-rate program in the next COVID-19 emergency relief bill.
- July 21, 2020 - National PTA urges USDA to issue additional child nutrition waivers to support access and program operations in for the 2020-2021 school year
- July 20, 2020 - National PTA joins 25 other organizations in asking the U.S. Senate to prioritize and address the needs of children with disabilities, their families, and educators in the next COVID-19 emergency relief bill.
- July 15, 2020 – National PTA joins 42 other organizations requesting an immediate federal investment of $10 billion for emergency building repairs and system renewals for our public schools located in our highest poverty communities.
- July 9, 2002 – National PTA joins numerous other organizations in endorsing the Supporting Children with Disabilities during COVID-19 Act.
- July 8, 2020 – National PTA expresses its support for the Universal Giving Pandemic Response Act
Federal Investments in Education
- July 8, 2020 – National PTA expresses its support for the school infrastructure portions of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act of 2020.
Lastly, National PTA has signed onto to comment letters regarding the Interim Final Rule on Equitable Services in CARES Act. Once these letters are public, they will shared and posted on our Letters to Policymakers webpage.
