Rep. Lee Hosts COVID-19 K-12 Education Roundtable with Nevada PTA

Statement

U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) hosted a Facebook Live roundtable with Nevada Parent Teacher Association (NVPTA) President, Rebecca Garcia, and Clark County School District (CCSD) parents and teachers.

Rep. Lee and guests discussed K-12 education in southern Nevada ahead of CCSD's first day on school on Monday, August 24th. Topics included internet access for at-home learning, food assistance for students, child care for working parents, funding for school districts and state and local governments, and more.

During the roundtable, Rep. Lee highlighted why roundtables like these are so important to her job in Congress, and to getting schools the funding they need to start the school year:

"I want to hear from our parents who I know need answers and help with at-home learning, childcare, food assistance, and so many wrap-around services that parents and students rely on, especially during this pandemic.

"I want to hear from our students about their fears and anticipations and what they need to succeed during this unusual school year.

"And of course I want to hear from our teachers, who as always are being forced to work with less, and are now learning to adapt overnight from in-person to online teaching."

"What I know we need is federal funding that will help with these things like helping schools secure personal protective equipment, internet access for students learning from home, food assistance for students, and other things we need to safely start the school year, whether in a classroom or a living room."

"I'm always impressed by our ability to come together as a community. Ultimately that's what we're going to need to do to open our schools safely, to open our economy safely, and to get back to the life we all know and love. And that's how we'll start this school year off strong."

"Back to school looks very different this year and families are struggling to adapt to ever increasing demands," said Nevada PTA President, Rebecca Garcia. "Many of us, including my own family, are trying to figure out how to meet our kids educational needs and still do our jobs. The pandemic has also exacerbated existing community challenges including access to affordable childcare, broadband and the underfunding of public schools."

BACKGROUND: Rep. Lee and the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive coronavirus relief package, the Heroes Act, on May 15th, nearly three months ago. This package includes vital education relief for both K-12 and higher education, including:

-Providing $90 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund for Education for grants to states to support elementary and secondary schools and public postsecondary institutions, including the following:

-Nearly $58 billion for K-12 schools to continue delivering instruction, including purchasing education technology and hotspot devices, planning and implementing summer learning, professional development, and maintaining school personnel employment.

-Nearly $27 billion to support public institutions of higher education and their students.

-Nearly $4 billion to governors to award funding to school districts and institutions of higher education.

-Providing More Than $10 Billion In Direct Emergency Funding For Institutions Of Higher Education, Including $1.7 Billion For Historically Black Colleges And Other Minority-Serving Institutions: The bill provides more than $10 billion in direct emergency funding for institutions of higher education that have suffered severe financial losses due to COVID-19, including $1.7 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions.

-Providing $7 Billion For Childcare Providers: The bill provides $7 billion for childcare providers to serve individuals who are required to work during the public health emergency or to stay afloat during temporary closures, as well as providing childcare facilities with tuition relief.

-Providing Student Loan Debt Relief: The bill provides up to $10,000 in student debt relief for economically-distressed federal borrowers; ensures all federal student loan borrowers benefit from the temporary suspension of payments, interest accrual and involuntary collections through September 2021; and provides debt relief to student borrowers defrauded by Corinthian Colleges and ITT Tech.

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