Michigan GOP Legislative Leaders Still Sitting on $300 Million for COVID-19 Safety in Schools
“The window is closing” to spend the money effectively, Crain’s Detroit Business Senior Editor Chad Livengood says.
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Local school districts have done their best to deal with the reality of holding in-person classes amid a deadly pandemic for months this school year — and they’ve been doing it without the help of $300 million in federal money earmarked specifically for that purpose in August.
“[GOP leaders] say they want schools to be open. And this is a way for schools to be open and stay open.” –Chad Livengood, Crain’s Detroit Business
That’s because state lawmakers simply haven’t gotten around to passing it along.
Listen: Crain’s Detroit Business Senior Editor Chad Livengood discusses the $300 million not being sent to schools to help with COVID-19.
Guest
Chad Livengood is a senior editor with Crain’s Detroit Business. He wrote a column in Crain’s titled “Legislature sits on $300 million in COVID funds for reopening schools — back in August.”
“School superintendents I’ve talked to are working under duress every day … They are trying to manage a constant churn of students testing positive, teachers testing positive … There’s an untold amount of loss of learning that’s going on this year,” says Livengood. “[GOP leaders] say they want schools to be open. And this is a way for schools to be open and stay open.”
“The window is closing for the effectiveness of this, especially as we’re in the midst of a surge,” he says.
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