Following weeks of sometimes tense negotiations, California legislators agreed Thursday on a $6.5 billion proposal aimed at getting the state’s young people back in classrooms this spring.
The “Safe and Open Schools” plan would overhaul a $2 billion proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom that was widely criticized by school superintendents, unions, and lawmakers. The proposal unveiled by Newsom in December would have rewarded schools that reopened with additional funding for safety measures.
Critics said it set unrealistic timelines, didn’t include enough money to pay for frequent COVID-19 testing of students and teachers and failed to address the vaccination of teachers.
The new proposal would triple the funding for schools. It also requires county public health departments to offer vaccinations to school staff who return to in-person classes.
The proposal, detailed in two identical pieces of legislation, would not force schools to reopen. But it would provide more funding to those that do.
