President Trump Threatens to Cut Funding to Schools if In-Person Classes Don’t Resume

Yesterday, President Trump threatened to withhold funding from schools if they do not resume in-person classes this fall. The warning was immediately dismissed by Congress on the basis that the president cannot unilaterally cut current federal support of schools. especially since they’ve already been set this year. However, the president may be able to restrict pandemic relief funds or refuse to sign future grants or bailouts. It’s believed the average district may require upwards of 1.8 million more dollars in order to adhere to health and safety guidelines during the pandemic. Any reduction in school funding will have major negative impacts nationwide. The president also tweeted yesterday his disapproval of the CDCs guidelines for reopening schools safely, claiming they are too “tough” and “expensive”. In response, the agency said they would release a revised recommendations list sometime next week. Doctor Robert Redfield, Director of the CDC, agrees they must do everything in their power to get children back in schools.