Urge $200B for schools in stimulus

Public schools across the country need more than $200 billion from the next federal stimulus package, a group of more than 80 city advocacy groups warned in a Tuesday letter to New York’s congressional delegation.

“Without substantial federal support, the current crisis will have lifelong consequences for a generation of children whose education has been interrupted for reasons beyond their control,” wrote the education advocacy group Advocates for Children, which was joined in the letter by dozens of other city education nonprofits.

Both city and state officials have warned of big cuts in education spending without a significant financial boost from the federal government. Mayor de Blasio has proposed cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from the city’s education budget next year in response to a projected $9 billion tax revenue loss amid the pandemic.

Meanwhile, state officials used the $1 billion in federal education money from the March federal stimulus bill to stave off cuts to the state budget passed in April. Gov. Cuomo has warned of billions in further cuts without additional federal support.

In Congress, lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House slotted $60 billion for education aid in the $3 trillion Heroes Act stimulus they passed in May. The bill is now stuck in the Republicanrun Senate.

Education advocates say the sum proposed by the House just scratches the surface of schools’ dire needs. They estimate federal lawmakers will need to allocate $205 billion to schools to plug holes in state and municipal budgets and make up for learning losses from this school year.

Advocates expect about $13 billion of their proposed $205 billion expenditure would go to New York — with special education students, English language learners and high-poverty schools getting extra dollars.

The letter from the New York groups echoes similar calls from national education organizations, including the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will seek more money for education in the next stimulus bill, but did not commit to an amount in a statement issued by a spokesman.

The spokesman said Schumer “knows more is needed,” and said he will “work with parents, teachers, universities and school boards to keep a full court press” on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose support is required for another stimulus package.