Delivered via email: March 6, 2020
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has also put together information on the coronavirus. The webpage contains information to assist school board members in preparing for the coronavirus and includes an NSBA guide that can help school districts with their preparedness efforts. The guide, “COVID-2019: Preparing for Widespread Illness in Your School Community: A Legal Guide for School Leaders,” features prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery actions; and was developed in conjunction with the National Association of School Nurses.
The CDC has released guidance for schools.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) also included information on the coronavirus in ISBE’s Weekly Message on March 3.
IASB has posted helpful information from IASB PRESS Policy Services.
FISCAL YEAR 2021 (FY21) APPROPRIATIONS
The President released his FY21 budget proposal to Congress on February 10. Some of the main points of interest regarding education are:- A $5.6 billion cut (18% reduction) for the U.S. Department of Education (USDE)
- Block-granting 29 programs, including Title I
- A $100 million increase over FY20 enacted levels for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- A $5 billion federal tax credit program (Education Freedom Scholarships) to fund scholarships for one million students to attend private schools
- An overall cut of $1.9 trillion in spending to non-defense discretionary programs, including a 5% cut in FY21 and reductions of 2% per year thereafter
- Elimination of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program which school districts use to attract and retain teachers
- A $1 trillion “direct federal investment” to support major infrastructure, most of which he directs towards transportation
CORONAVIRUS
In response to growing concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the globe, and potential implications for spread of the virus within the United States, the USDE announced a Coronavirus task force, to be led by Deputy Secretary of Education Mick Zais. The task force is designed to coordinate the Department’s response to any spread of the virus in U.S. schools. Information on the USDE’s efforts is available on their website.The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has also put together information on the coronavirus. The webpage contains information to assist school board members in preparing for the coronavirus and includes an NSBA guide that can help school districts with their preparedness efforts. The guide, “COVID-2019: Preparing for Widespread Illness in Your School Community: A Legal Guide for School Leaders,” features prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery actions; and was developed in conjunction with the National Association of School Nurses.
The CDC has released guidance for schools.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) also included information on the coronavirus in ISBE’s Weekly Message on March 3.
IASB has posted helpful information from IASB PRESS Policy Services.