There is no other way to put it: The reopening of schools after COVID-19 is going to be expensive.
First and foremost, new health and safety measures must be in place. That means implementing new procedures for disinfecting facilities, purchasing personal protective equipment, and implementing new protective protocols. Add to that the costs of designing and implementing new remote learning programs, on top of childcare, transportation, and everything else that will inevitably increase the cost of doing business.
This budget crisis begs a question: What policies can provide some level of predictability to the changes and help ensure that students, especially low-income and at-risk students, get the most out of each district program investment?
