Congress, White House Must Provide COVID Relief for ALL K-12 Students and Families
-
by
TOMMY SCHULTZ
As Congressional Leaders and the White House renew serious COVID relief negotiations, we call upon policymakers to ensure the following items are included in any COVID relief bill:
- Aid for public and non-public school families and students who have been equally affected by the pandemic.
- School Choice Now: Provide emergency tuition scholarships to families in need based on each state’s private school enrollment prior to the pandemic and create a federal tax credit to sustain education aid for public and private school families going forward. Individuals and corporations would receive a dollar for dollar federal tax credit for contributions to non-profit Scholarship Granting Organizations who issue scholarships for families to use on a menu of educational items including tutoring, education technology, private school tuition, special needs services, and workforce training.
- Discretionary education funding for Governors to directly empower families with the flexibility and choice they need to ensure their children get a full-time education.
Statement from John Schilling, President of the American Federation for Children:
“The revised House HEROES Act and the Senate’s targeted relief bill both contain substantial COVID relief for K-12 schools, families and students, and a discretionary education fund for Governors. It is, however, unacceptable that HEROES maintains language that expressly prohibits any aid to non-public schools and families and provides no equitable services for students in non-public schools. Any COVID relief for education must include aid for public and non-public school families and students, and provide greater flexibility and choice for families with school-age children. The Senate targeted relief bill’s School Choice Now language provides this needed flexibility and choice, which is especially critical for lower income families and families with special needs children. Congress and the White House must put families and students first.”