Newsom’s $2 billion plan to reopen California schools fizzles By Jill Tucker and Dustin Gardiner
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s widely touted $2 billion proposal to give California schools up to $750 per student to reopen by mid-February has stalled in Sacramento, with no timeline for when the money might be available.
While reopening schools remains a priority for Newsom, as well as national and state health officials, the plan is tied up in the Legislature, where elected officials have questioned whether it’s fair or logistically feasible to implement the stringent testing requirements of staff and students required in the proposal.
Legislators also criticized Newsom’s proposal, which required districts to submit a health and safety plan by Feb. 1, for not addressing vaccinations; some legislators said they don’t support reopening schools until teachers and support staff are vaccinated.