Trending...
- The 2025 ESPY Awards After Party- Presented by Poppi & High Noon
- General Auction Company Announces August 8th Auction- Now Accepting Consignments
- $53 Million Company Valuation Investment with Majority Acquisition Option, Plus New Stock CUSIP Supporting Brand Transition of Fan Engagement Company
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon today highlighted an agreement on a $6.6 billion budget package to accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction across California and empower schools to immediately expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer.
"Since the height of the winter surge, we have successfully shifted the conversation from whether to reopen schools to when," said Governor Newsom. "Now, our collective charge is to build on that momentum and local leadership, and – just as critically – do whatever it takes to meet the mental health and academic needs of our students, including over the summer."
The Governor was joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and other legislative leaders at Franklin Elementary School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. The state's fifth largest public school district was among the first to close for in-person instruction last year. Last week, based on deep partnership between school staff and leaders, the district announced plans to reopen grades K-6 in mid-March and grades 7-12 in early April.
Elk Grove Unified and public schools throughout the state will be allocated $6.6 billion under the proposed budget package. $2 billion would fund safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and COVID-19 testing. $4.6 billion would fund expanded learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring and mental health services. Together, the funds empower schools to develop and execute comprehensive strategies to both reopen and expand programs to address the social-emotional, mental health and academic needs of students.
More on The Californer
All public schools would be required to offer in-person instruction to grades K-2 for all students and for high-needs students in all grades by the end of the month, losing 1 percent of eligible funds every day thereafter if they do not. Schools in the state's Red Tier or better would be required to offer in-person instruction to all students in all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade, or risk the same penalty. Together, these requirements help ensure schools begin to reopen as soon as possible, in order to build trust and confidence to continue phased reopenings.
As students return to in-person instruction, all public schools would also be empowered to meet the needs of the whole child. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants allocate $4.6 billion to local educational agencies based on the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $1,000 for each homeless student. These funds would be for supplemental instruction and support for social and emotional well-being. Schools would be able to use the funds for providing more instructional time, such as summer school, and accelerating progress to close learning gaps through tutoring, learning recovery programs, mental health services, access to school meal programs, programs to address pupil trauma and social-emotional learning, supports for credit-deficient students and more.
The package would also codify multiple successful state programs to support safe school reopenings:
The budget package is the result of months of work by the Governor's Office, Senate and Assembly. The Governor, Senate Pro Tem Atkins and Assembly Speaker Rendon also thanked Senators Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Connie Leyva (D-Chino), along with Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) Patrick O'Donnell (D-Long Beach) and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) for their tireless work and leadership on this effort.
More on The Californer
The state's efforts to accelerate safe school reopenings to date include delivery of three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost, direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.
For more information, please visit: https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/.
"Since the height of the winter surge, we have successfully shifted the conversation from whether to reopen schools to when," said Governor Newsom. "Now, our collective charge is to build on that momentum and local leadership, and – just as critically – do whatever it takes to meet the mental health and academic needs of our students, including over the summer."
The Governor was joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and other legislative leaders at Franklin Elementary School in the Elk Grove Unified School District. The state's fifth largest public school district was among the first to close for in-person instruction last year. Last week, based on deep partnership between school staff and leaders, the district announced plans to reopen grades K-6 in mid-March and grades 7-12 in early April.
Elk Grove Unified and public schools throughout the state will be allocated $6.6 billion under the proposed budget package. $2 billion would fund safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and COVID-19 testing. $4.6 billion would fund expanded learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring and mental health services. Together, the funds empower schools to develop and execute comprehensive strategies to both reopen and expand programs to address the social-emotional, mental health and academic needs of students.
More on The Californer
- A Century of Compassion: Butte Humane Society Hosts 114th Anniversary Gilded Garden Gala
- United Set to Hire More Special Olympics Athletes As Customer Service Ambassadors
- Exelon Leader Tamla Olivier Named 2025 Technologist of the Year by Waves of Change STEM Conference
- KIDZ BOP RELEASES BRAND NEW ALBUM 'KIDZ BOP 51' FEATURING HITS "APT" & "PINK PONY CLUB"
- Be Part of the World's Largest Art Biennale | Moons, Castles, Trees | Copenhagen Chronotopes
All public schools would be required to offer in-person instruction to grades K-2 for all students and for high-needs students in all grades by the end of the month, losing 1 percent of eligible funds every day thereafter if they do not. Schools in the state's Red Tier or better would be required to offer in-person instruction to all students in all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade, or risk the same penalty. Together, these requirements help ensure schools begin to reopen as soon as possible, in order to build trust and confidence to continue phased reopenings.
As students return to in-person instruction, all public schools would also be empowered to meet the needs of the whole child. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Grants allocate $4.6 billion to local educational agencies based on the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $1,000 for each homeless student. These funds would be for supplemental instruction and support for social and emotional well-being. Schools would be able to use the funds for providing more instructional time, such as summer school, and accelerating progress to close learning gaps through tutoring, learning recovery programs, mental health services, access to school meal programs, programs to address pupil trauma and social-emotional learning, supports for credit-deficient students and more.
The package would also codify multiple successful state programs to support safe school reopenings:
- Vaccine Prioritization for K-12 School Staff. The package codifies the Governor's commitment to set aside 10 percent of vaccines for education workers. This commitment ensures that the state prioritization of school staff, in place since January, is made real in all 58 counties. Since the Governor's announcement two weeks ago, the state has collaborated with county health departments, the Biden Administration and providers such as Kaiser Permanente to accelerate vaccine access for K-12 school staff starting March 1.
- Data Reporting. The package codifies data reporting requirements, including requirements for schools to report reopening status and COVID-19 safety measures. These statutory requirements will help build on efforts to increase transparency, including interactive geospatial maps displayed on the Safe Schools Hub.
- State Safe Schools Team. The package also allocates $25 million to the State Safe Schools Team, which serves to provide technical assistance, oversight and accountability to the over 10,000 public schools in the state. The capacity will enhance the Team's reach, and the Team will conduct a safety review of any school with two or more COVID-19 outbreaks.
The budget package is the result of months of work by the Governor's Office, Senate and Assembly. The Governor, Senate Pro Tem Atkins and Assembly Speaker Rendon also thanked Senators Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Connie Leyva (D-Chino), along with Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) Patrick O'Donnell (D-Long Beach) and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) for their tireless work and leadership on this effort.
More on The Californer
- California sends more search and rescue crews to Texas
- YourEggs Is Leading the Way in Providing Access to the Best Asian Egg Donors to Families Worldwide
- California: Governor Newsom and Acting Governor Kounalakis honor fallen CDCR Parole Agent
- California sues to stop Trump's politically motivated attack on high-speed rail
- SeedList Launching Institutional Crypto Crowdfunding Project to Empower Retail Investors and Disrupt the VC-Dominated Crypto Fundraising Landscape
The state's efforts to accelerate safe school reopenings to date include delivery of three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost, direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.
For more information, please visit: https://schools.covid19.ca.gov/.
0 Comments
Latest on The Californer
- CelluHeal™ Launches Full Line of Advanced Wound Dressings for Online Purchase in the USA, Canada, and Beyond
- California: Governor Newsom responds to Trump's latest gift to China: Defunding America's only high-speed rail
- California: Governor Newsom announces appointments 7.16.25
- California: Governor Newsom calls on Trump to end Los Angeles militarization, shares community resources
- City of Long Beach to Host Compost and Recycling Ambassador Program
- AMAZON DRIVERS IN CITY OF INDUSTRY JOIN THE TEAMSTERS
- Silva Construction Details Common Home Renovation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Governor Newsom invites LA Fire survivors to continue shaping rebuilding efforts through Engaged California
- DOGUE Magazine and CoverDogs Announce Series A to Redefine Modern Pet Culture
- Voices for Humanity Treks High into the Himalayas to Deliver the Way to Happiness with Meena Sharma
- Nonprofit innovator named Mensa Executive Director
- Following Trump cut to LGBTQ youth suicide hotline, California steps up to fill the gap
- Yasmine Roulleau named Managing Director in Vancouver, Canada
- Chasing Elizabeth Taylor — The Dazzling True Story Behind the Queen of Diamonds Now Available in Limited-Edition Hardcover
- Swim Up Hill Animation Premieres Pilot Episode of "The Adventure of Swim Up Hill"
- LOS ANGELES TEAMSTERS AT METRO TRANSIT RATIFY FIRST CONTRACT
- Calmwater Capital Funds $22.8 Million Loan to Refinance Retail Complex in Park City
- From Barrio to Transgender Pioneer: Chapter 14 Personal Injustices Faced by the Protagonist
- Blacksmith InfoSec and Liongard Launch Strategic Integration to Simplify MSP Compliance Audits
- Surefox North America & Eagle Eye International Protective Services Announce Strategic Partnership