Welch: Stimulus bill key for fully reopening schools

A sunny afternoon view of Wyman Lane in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont's governor wants schools fully open by the middle of April, and the federal COVID-19 relief bill is designed to help schools as they transition back to in-person learning, according to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont.

The $1.9 trillion bill being taken up in the U.S. Senate has $170 billion going to schools. On VPR's Vermont Edition on Monday, Welch recalled when he visited the Winooski school district earlier during the pandemic, and observed all the changes they had to make to run their schools during the pandemic, which cost them about $2 million.

"This (stimulus) money is a recognition by the federal government that opening schools is easier said than done, and it requires resources and the spending of money in order to do it safely for our kids and for our teachers," Welch told VPR.

He said this federal relief could help schools hire extra personnel as they go back to in-person learning, which may include more nurses to take temperatures, for example. The funding could also help reconfigure classrooms for social distancing. Overall, Welch said any use of the federal aid must have a "COVID-related nexus", but it is less restrictive than prior aid packages. That means these new funds could be used on expenditures which could also have long-term benefits, such as improving school ventilation. The greater flexibility was something requested by the governor previously, Welch said during the VPR interview.

Currently, about 30% of Vermont schools have full-time, in-person instruction, 50% are hybrid, and 20% are fully remote. On Friday, the Scott administration announced its statewide effort to get schools back to full-time, in-person learning by year's end, and hopefully by mid-April. Education Secretary Dan French expects to give more details about that plan this week.

The topic has been one of intense debate nationally. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a school reopening deal with lawmakers, and on Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a school reopening bill that he said was a threat to public health.

There seems to be broad agreement that getting students back to full-time, in-person learning is crucial, although some are concerned about the idea of reopening when not all teachers are fully vaccinated. Vermont is taking that into account as the next steps on its vaccination plan are considered. On Monday, the state opened up vaccination appointments to Vermonters age 65 and over.

Last Friday, Gov. Scott said the main reason to push for a full school reopening is "to reverse the negative impact of the pandemic on our kids."

"We have to start assessing the educational, social and emotional impact the pandemic and remote learning has had on our kids," Scott said. "Then we have to work together to reverse those impacts, as quickly as we possibly can. And that means, in this case, in-person instruction.”

A Senate vote on the federal aid package is anticipated in the next two weeks, since extended federal unemployment benefits expire on March 14.

— Gareth Henderson 

Officials aim for stimulus deal this week

A stone wall adds to the scenic landscape along North Bridgewater Road in Bridgewater, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Another day of negotiations on federal pandemic relief legislation wrapped up Wednesday with little more than a new deadline to complete a deal by week’s end.

Any final agreement will likely include a new round of direct federal stimulus payments to taxpayers. The proposed amount is $1,200 checks, the same as the first round in spring. Other provisions would send aid to schools and continue the Paycheck Protection Program. However, negotiators remain far apart on one of the toughest issues at hand: what to do about the $600 weekly federal unemployment aid that just expired. 

Another key issue is aid for states and municipalities. Republicans have offered Democrats $150 billion to help state and local governments plug the extreme revenue gaps many are facing, according to the Associated Press. But it's unclear if that amount will be satisfactory for the Democratic leadership. It may not be for some of their allies, as evidenced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's remarks on Wednesday, as he accepted the position of chair of the National Governors Association. He said the NGA wants to see $500 billion in unrestricted state funding in the next stimulus bill. 

"All major economists agree, that without providing financial assistance to state and local governments, the economy will not rebound as fast as it would otherwise," Cuomo said.  

Whatever happens, it's clear people are eager for that next stimulus check, especially in the absence of enhanced federal unemployment aid. A VPR-Vermont PBS Poll released this week shows 74 percent of Vermonters responding said the first round of $1,200 stimulus checks made a big difference in their family's finances. There's a chance a second round of checks would meet a similar level of need. 

Still, we're hoping the final stimulus bill will also have some assistance for state and local governments, so the various services, programs and projects that rely on those public entities can be funded. It's good to see that, at least, offers are being made on that issue during negotiations. Hopefully, they will advance to an agreement soon, because as we all know, millions are waiting on these talks and the relief they can bring. 

— Gareth Henderson