Bay Area districts cheer California schools deal but will it help them reopen sooner?
Originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle
By Jill Tucker
March 1, 2021
A $6.6 billion reopening plan announced Monday for California schools comes with significant strings attached, requirements that could mean many Bay Area districts might see millions of dollars cut out of their cash windfall.
The deal between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature would provide $4.6 billion to help schools navigate reopening and learning loss amid an ongoing pandemic, with money paying for staffing, ventilation, supplies, summer school or even an extended school year, with the condition it be spent by Aug. 31, 2022.
There is also another $2 billion for districts that reopen for in-person instruction by April 1, with specific requirements depending on whether a county is in the state’s most restrictive purple tier or the less restrictive red tier. Schools that reopen after April 1 will lose 1% of funding each day they remain closed, up until May 15.
It’s unclear whether many Bay Area districts will be able to meet the reopening timeline set by the legislation.
“Though I wish it could, the governor’s announcement does not change our timeline because there are still many steps we need to take to get there, and many of those aren’t expedited even with financial incentives,” said San Francisco Unified spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. “We are getting closer each day.”
But the state plan puts increasing pressure on districts to return. Already, Bay Area parents are rallying for reopenings, with “Zoom in” protests, pushes to recall hesitant school board members and a lawsuit to push for in-person learning. With the state funds and the timeline, Bay Area school districts and teachers unions — whose members are slowly getting vaccinated — will likely feel heat to return to the classroom.
State officials declined to provide estimates on how much money each district could get, given the amounts would vary depending on the number of low-income families, English learners and foster youth enrolled. The $6.6 billion equals about $1,100 per student.
“I think that creating powerful incentives for districts to move urgently is really important,” said Oakland school board President Shanthi Gonzales. “I don’t know if we’ll have everybody back in school by April 1, but we can at least have our vulnerable students and some of our elementary students.”
To get a full share, a district in the red tier must reopen elementary schools to all grades as well as one middle or high school grade, in addition to any child who is homeless, in foster care, lacks learning technology, has been chronically absent, is at risk of abuse or exploitation or who is an English learner.
“No one’s compelling anybody,” Newsom said during a Monday news conference. “We’re providing supports.
“We want schools to safely reopen. Period, full stop. I’ve been saying this for months.”
The California Teachers Association praised the legislation for a commitment to safety and vaccinations, but labor officials said they would continue to push for testing and other mitigation measures.
“This pandemic has been difficult and wearing on all of us, and it is going to continue to take all of us to make opening our schools for in-person instruction safe, stable and successful,” said President E. Toby Boyd. “We are reviewing the proposal’s details more closely, and we look forward to working with local educators as they negotiate with districts to safely reopen for in-person teaching and learning beginning in one month.”
Others criticized the effort, saying it will take more than money to reopen schools.
“This isn’t a breakthrough, it’s a failure,” said Pat Reilly, a Berkeley parent and an advocate with OpenSchoolsCA, in a statement. “There will still be closed schools and kids left behind a month from now and months afterwards until the governor, Legislature or the courts force them open.”
For districts already open for in-person learning or close to reopening, the governor’s announcement was great news.
“The governor’s plan is in alignment with our efforts to begin reopening elementary schools this Thursday, so we are pleased with the outcome,” said Pleasanton Superintendent David Haglund.
In Berkeley, Superintendent Brent Stephens said the district could see about $5 million from the deal and is poised to start reopening by the end of March.
“I do think we’ll able to meet the criteria,” he said, adding that the funding is critical to help the district’s 10,000 students now and over the next two years in post-pandemic schools. “Everything right now helps.”
Yet, across the Bay Area, many districts remained in remote learning, mired in labor talks and logistical issues.
In San Francisco, which is expected to reach the red tier this week, the school district would have one month to reopen schools for up to 30,000 students if it wants to get all the available state funding.
Out of the $4.6 billion, the city’s school district would be eligible for about $40 million — based on estimates — with another $17 million if schools reopen as required by April 1.
Bringing back students within a month is a big ask, given that the district has yet to reach an agreement with the teachers union on what the school day will look like. In addition, the Department of Public Health must approve all schools for reopening, yet the district applied to reopen only 13 of 64 elementary schools, and health officials have inspected six sites.
“We are grateful for the recognition that our public schools need more resources to serve our students during the pandemic,” Blythe said. “Make no mistake, we share the urgency to offer in-person instruction to as many students as soon as possible.”
Oakland Unified, which is eligible for an estimated $40 million from the state incentive program, is also negotiating for teachers to return to classrooms. About $12 million hinges on whether schools can start to reopen in less than a month.
“It’s a big chunk of change,” Gonzales said. “I don’t want to leave any money on the table.”
Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker