School committees asking state to reimburse districts for COVID-19 supply costs
“Our kids need everything they are getting now, and we actually need more staff.”
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Dozens of Massachusetts school committees are asking for the state to cover the costs of COVID-19 supplies required for districts to reopen schools this fall.
Over 100 districts have passed resolutions, the language the same, asking for the state to reimburse the associated costs, according to The Boston Globe.
“The state cannot expect mandatory COVID-19 safety guidelines to be followed without also ensuring that each school district has the funds required to implement these guidelines,” the resolution says, as posted online by the newspaper.
Districts were told to prioritize in-person instruction this fall while also preparing alternative plans for a “hybrid” of in-person and remote instruction, as well as for all-remote instruction. Everyone in grades 2 and up, as well as educators, will have to wear masks, and there will need to be at least three feet between desks, according to the guidelines.
Schools must also ensure all students and staff frequently wash or sanitize their hands, and high-touch surfaces, like doorknobs and hand rails, are to be cleaned often. The state has made $202 million in grants available to districts to help cover the new protocols, the guidelines say.
However, some districts are worried about being able to pay for everything, according to the Globe, citing the Springfield school district, which has budget concerns.
“We can’t afford to cut anything,” LaTonia Monroe Naylor, a member of the school committee, told the newspaper. “Our kids need everything they are getting now, and we actually need more staff.”
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