Publication: San Jose Mercury
The $6.6 billion compromise legislation is loaded with incentives to entice more schools to reopen this spring
A $6.6 billion compromise bill loaded with incentives to entice more schools to reopen this spring headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk Thursday after passing out of the legislature with bipartisan support — and acknowledgment of its shortcomings.
The legislation, Assembly and Senate bills 86, offers public schools a share of $2 billion in aid for reopening costs if they resume some level of in-person instruction by the end of March, with decreasing amounts up to a May 15 deadline. An additional $4.6 billion is aimed at helping address learning loss from remote instruction. The Assembly passed the bill 72-4 after the Senate approved it 36-0.
“Like everybody said, this bill may not be what’s best for you, your family or your district, but I believe this bill is the best for our state,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who led the effort to craft a bill to help speed reopening of public schools, in which California has lagged other states.