COVID-19 could be worse than recession for CCSD, Jara says
The economic fallout of COVID-19 could have a greater impact on public schools than the recession, according to Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara.
Jara made his comments on a call with reporters to announce the district’s support for an effort to boost federal funding for education amid the pandemic.
Jara joined 61 other superintendents from the Council of the Great City Schools in signing a letter urging Congress to allocate an additional $175 billion to schools in educational stabilization funds provided through the CARES Act, along with $13 billion more for education for students with disabilities, $12 billion more for the Title I program and $2 billion to build up schools’ computer and internet access.
The CARES Act passed in March allocated $13.5 billion to public schools, with $117 million intended for Nevada’s K-12 districts.
“With additional federal funds, America’s public schools will be able to add summer school, expand the school day after reopening in the fall, retain and stabilize our teaching force, address the needs of our most vulnerable students, narrow the digital divide, and have a fighting chance at salvaging the futures of millions of young people,” said the letter.
Jara said Tuesday he expects to hear during the first week of May what budget cuts Nevada schools can expect under Gov. Steve Sisolak’s call for all state agencies to plan for budget reductions of up to 14 percent in 2021.
The additional federal funding could soften those impacts, he added, as well as account for students’ technology and connectivity needs. The letter says that the money is needed to “offset the unexpected costs districts are incurring in providing meal services to students and transforming from school-based to home-based learning in the wake of school closures.”
Jara said CCSD is tracking those expenses but does not have a grand total to date.
Jara also said on the call that the district is finalizing its own plans for summer school, but expects to continue distance learning. Standards missed during the fourth quarter of this year will also likely be wrapped into the first quarter of next year he said.
Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.