State budget provisions complicate school reopening under COVID-19 conditions; Mega-deferrals established and major cuts avoided

While touted by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders as preserving K–12 funding and positioning schools to reopen this fall, the 2020–21 state budget trailer bill language strips local educational agencies of critical flexibility needed to safely and effectively resume instruction. Distance learning Assembly Bill […]

Mandated reporters help ensure the safety and well-being of children during COVID-19

While learning loss has been at the forefront of concerns about the impacts of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shuttering of schools across the country poses additional risks for children who may experience abuse and neglect in their households. The economic crisis […]

Legislators call out resources, liability and lack of direction as concerns in reopening schools

With local educational agencies equipped with federal, state and county guidance on reopening campuses for the 2020–21 academic year, a June 16 joint Assembly Education Committee hearing cast concerns about the practicality and affordability of welcoming students back to the classroom. A yet-to-be finalized state […]

Budget negotiations to intensify as Legislature meets June 15 deadline

The Legislature on Monday, June 15, passed a 2020–21 budget bill that staves off immediate and drastic cuts to K–12 education, however, the spending plan is far from final as negotiations with the Governor’s Office continue. The Legislature’s action meets the requirement that lawmakers pass […]

Latest U.S. Senate Committee hearing on reopening schools focuses on learning loss, equity and funding

Amidst a global pandemic and nationwide protests over the unjust murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions’ June 10 hearing, “COVID-19: Going Back to School Safely,” featured senators and education leaders discussing what is […]

New CSBA guidance for reopening schools addresses challenges faced by governance teams

As new information about COVID-19 and guidance for the reopening of schools in the 2020–21 academic year is released at a breakneck pace, CSBA has released a document that speaks directly to the needs of its members during this time. The Uncertain Road Ahead: Reopening […]