California’s public schools could tap into $2 billion from the legislature if they return to in-person instruction by the end of March, according to an agreement between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s legislative leaders.
KCRA-TV reports that most of the state's 1,037 school districts have not held in-person classes since March 2020 because of the coronavirus. Many districts have struggled to reach agreements with teachers’ unions on the best way to return students and staff to the classroom.
Newsom, who could face a recall election later this year because of dissatisfaction with his handling of the pandemic, had been at odds with legislative leaders on the best way to encourage school districts to return students to the classroom.
The deal sets aside $6.6 billion for schools; $2 billion is earmarked for schools that return to in-person instruction by March 31.
The remaining $4.6 billion, which is not contingent on a return to classrooms, will be distributed among schools to help with learning loss through actions such as targeted interventions for vulnerable students or extending the school year and summer school options.
Newsom cast the reopening of schools as essential to getting California's economy back on track and as a move toward gender equity, as mothers have shouldered much of the burden of taking care of kids at home.
The bill would not require all students and staff to be vaccinated before returning to the classroom and it would not require districts to get approval from teachers’ unions before returning, the officials said.
Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, said the plan doesn’t meet every benchmark the union sought but does make progress from prior plans. The prioritization of vaccines for teachers — 10% of the state’s allocation with a minimum of 75,000 per week — is “a huge victory,” he said.
“The biggest thing I take away from here is that we are providing vaccines for educators,” Freitas said.
