“The challenges that many of our state’s rural and high poverty public schools must tackle on a daily basis are great during the best of times, much less during a pandemic that is disproportionately attacking the very citizens in the areas these public schools are located.
The Governor’s decision not to direct more than 65 percent of his emergency coronavirus funding to assist the most disadvantaged students, and instead give it to more advantaged students ($6,500 to a family of four that makes $78,000 — 300% poverty) to stay in private schools is unfathomable.
The cost of this program will benefit a few at the expense of many with no accountability to taxpayers that public schools are mandated to provide including: the administration of pre- and post- assessments, reports on expenditures and documentation of the impact of programs or services provided."