Publication: San Francisco Chronicle
State legislators have accused San Francisco’s school district of trying to exploit a legal loophole to receive $12 million in state funding to reopen schools for in-person learning, arguing the district did not bring back enough students to qualify for the money.
... California set aside $2 billion earlier this spring to help school districts reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. To qualify for the money, districts needed to reopen for all elementary grades and at least one grade in middle or high school by May 15.
The San Francisco Unified School District chose to bring back high school seniors but instead of offering in-person instruction to the entire grade, only some seniors were invited to return before the deadline.
...Ting has been critical of the district for its slow reopening and is pushing hard for a full reopening in the fall, which the school board has pledged to do.
“This money was used to incentivize reopening, and clearly, the district cared more about getting the money than actually bringing back children into the classroom,” Ting told The Chronicle. “We have to send a strong message that we expect them to be fully open in the fall.”