PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE U.S. need as much as $22 billion to reopen for in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The estimate, which is significantly lower than other school reopening estimates compiled by various national education organizations, notably does not account for the additional costs of providing face masks for students, teachers and staff, additional costs for food service, additional costs for contract tracing, which the CDC recommends as "an essential strategy to reduce transmission," or additional costs related to social distancing.
The report, published Friday, estimates that schools need as much as $442 per student to cover the additional costs to implement three buckets of safety measures the CDC recommends, including materials and consumables, which cover things like sanitization products and physical barriers for classrooms, additional custodial staff and additional transportation.
The $22 billion figure represents the total costs for schools implementing all safety measures for the approximately 51 million students enrolled in public schools in the U.S.
Outliers include Utah, where schools would need up to $204 in additional per-student spending, and Washington, D.C., where the CDC estimated schools would need as much as $912 in additional per-student spending. The variation in state estimates is driven largely by transportation costs, including the needs for additional buses and drivers to abide by social distancing recommendations.
"Successfully operating schools during the COVID-19 pandemic requires sufficient resources to implement and sustain effective mitigation strategies," the report states. "Although the list of resources identified in this analysis is not exhaustive, the cost estimates illustrate the level of resources needed to help ensure that schools both reopen and operate in the safest possible manner."
READ:
No Vaccine, No School? ]The cost estimate comes as congressional leaders stand paralyzed in their renewed efforts to provide a fresh round of coronavirus relief – this after months of squabbling between the White House, Senate Republicans and House Democrats scuttled previous efforts to provide federal support before the presidential election in November.
Congress previously provided $13.5 billion to K-12 schools in the spring. Since then, state chiefs, CONTINUE READING: CDC: Schools Need Additional $442 Per Student to Reopen Safely | Education News | US News
