New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he will not rush to reopen schools in the fall, even as President Trump increases pressure on governors to get students back into classrooms.
Trump’s threat comes with teeth — he says he’ll withhold federal education funds.
Cuomo says each of the state’s 700 school districts will have to submit a plan by July 31 on how they plan to reopen for remote, in-person and hybrid learning. Then, and only then, he says will the state make a decision in August on what to do in the fall.
“The president does not have the authority to open schools. We will open the schools, if it is safe to open the schools.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says opening schools safely will require significant resources and help from the federal government.
“We know that schools are not going to be operating normally, and that is going to add expense. And right now, schools are worried about just paying for the basics.”
Education advocacy groups have asked for $200 billion in federal funding for safety equipment and to fill budget gaps caused by the economic shutdown. So far only $13 billion has been appropriated.
New York schools face significant budget cuts after local governments lost billions of dollars in tax revenue due to the pandemic.
