Private schools profit from PPP funding

Private schools profit from PPP funding

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This is Coronavirus Schools Briefing, a guide to the seismic changes in US education that are occurring during the pandemic. Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox.

This spring, when the federal government spent billions of dollars in emergency funding for a pandemic, traditional K-12 public schools in Los Angeles averaged about $ 716,000.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Canyon School, a private school in the San Fernando Valley where LeBron James’ son is a basketball highlight, received $ 3.14 million – part of a forgivable pandemic loan for his foundation of the Federal Housing Protection Program. Paycheck.

New York public schools received an average of $ 386,000 in federal aid. But Poly Prep Country Day School, a private school in Brooklyn with more than $ 114 million in the bank, obtained a $ 5.83 million PPP loan. Public schools in Washington, DC, received an average of $ 189,000 in federal funding. But a $ 5.22 million PPP loan went to Sidwell Friends School, the alma mater of Sasha and Malia Obama in Washington.

This week, as the federal government releases a second round of PPP loans, watchdog groups are following the money. From the start, the $ 659 billion program, designed to help small businesses and nonprofits to cover their payrolls with loans supported by the Small Business Administration, has been troubled by complaints that the wealthy and connected had excluded intended recipients.

A database of recipients – released in full by the Treasury Department in December, after The Times and another major news organization filed a federal lawsuit – reinforced these concerns.

In education, the disparities were particularly striking. Public schools are not eligible for PPP loans because they have a separate aid fund under the federal CARES Act. But private and charter schools can apply for loans. Many did, sometimes to their embarrassment when the applications became public.

The Chicago Latin School, which revealed a $ 58.5 million grant in a recent tax filing process, applied for a loan and returned the money after an article in the school’s student newspaper, The Forum. The same happened with the elite of the Brentwood School, in LA, after The Los Angeles Times noted that his students include two children of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Still, many elite private schools kept the money they had asked for, citing economic uncertainties and rules that restricted their ability to take advantage of their endowments to cover their payrolls. After an initial round of PPP financing was quickly exhausted, the Small Business Administration issued revised guidelines for the program that make it clear that employers with other financing options should not apply. Since then, the rules have been even stricter.

But Accountable.US – a non-partisan surveillance organization that collected the statistics mentioned in schools in Los Angeles, New York and Washington – says it still needs to address gaps that hide equity issues, make the program vulnerable to potential fraudsters and continue to allow that well-connected money on loans. And minority-focused creditors are raising similar concerns. This fight is far from over.

After the outbreaks last fall, the city-state of Singapore averaged less than one case transmitted locally per day. Since the beginning of the pandemic, reports our colleague Sui-Lee Wee, its three main universities have reported no cases of community transmission.

From our perch here in the United States, it almost sounds like a fantasy. But the three factors that contribute to its success – technology, constraints and compliance – can be a useful point of reference for educators and employees around the world.

The National University of Singapore has invested in extensive testing resources and sifted sewage into dorms in search of traces of the coronavirus. This is in line with many American campuses.

But the university is also using technology to apply social distance measures, specifically eliminating crowds in high-traffic areas. The university dean regularly checks an online panel to see how crowded the cafeterias are. If the real-time map shows that a dining area is too crowded, it causes administrators to send a warning to avoid it and use other options.

The Singapore government has responded aggressively to the pandemic: it punishes those who violated the restrictions, in some cases deporting foreigners and revoking work permits.

At universities, severe restrictions on campus have led to the expulsion of some students from the dormitories for receiving visitors. More than 800 students signed a petition last October to lift restrictions.

“The consequences are serious, so people are afraid,” said Fok Theng Fong, a 24-year-old law student.

Most students in Singapore do not live on campus. And Singapore has no fraternities and fraternities.

Olyvia Lim, a senior student at the Nanyang Technological University, said reports of American college students partying in the middle of a pandemic have confused their friends.

“We all said, ‘Why would they risk doing such a thing?’” Said Lim. “It’s a little hard to believe because we are of similar ages, but I think it’s culture. They are all about freedom, but when the government here says, ‘Wear a mask’, we all do. “

  • After University of Alabama won the college football championship on Monday night, thousands partyed on the streets to celebrate, in a potential over-propagation event.

  • Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte has joined a growing list of schools that have delayed the start of face-to-face learning. And a community college in California, Chaffey College, canceled face-to-face classes in the spring semester.

  • Many colleges in Rhode Island plans to open soon, despite the increase in cases.

  • Art in the midst of chaos: Three students in Dartmouth College shared their artistic creations with Emma Ginsberg, a student newspaper reporter. Jazz, baking and acting still thrive.

  • A good read: Our colleague Billy Witz took a good look at the often absurd inequalities in college sports. “It is difficult to unravel the hypocrisy of comforting in the mega-business of college sports, where the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the inherent conflicts caused by a financial model that harvests billions on the backs of unpaid players.”

  • About 250 public schools inside New York City are offering full-time classes, five days a week, to all their students, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

  • After delays, Utah started vaccinating teachers on Tuesday.

  • Arkansas expand its vaccine distribution to teachers and daycare and higher education staff.

  • Boston plans to bring more public school students back for face-to-face learning starting in February. Last week, Governor Charlie Baker revealed plans to begin swimming tests for students and staff in Massachusetts.

  • A view of Chicago: Stacy Moore, executive director of Educators for Excellence-Chicago, did not measure words. “If the leaders of our school district and the teachers’ union continue on this path, no one will win,” wrote Moore, a former teacher. “It’s time for both sides to act like adults and come to the table to reach an agreement.”

  • A worthy watch: An educator at a public school in Baltimore posted a powerful video with testimonials from students. “It is so difficult to stay connected to the computer,” said one student. “It’s like a curse.” ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis, wrote on Twitter which was “the first collection of testimonies from students at first hand that I saw anywhere in the country”.

Our colleague Christina Caron has written a practical explainer for everything you need to know about Covid tests for children. She spoke with five doctors and two of the largest emergency care providers in the United States to analyze questions: Are there any less invasive tests? If so, where? Are they accurate? And how should parents prepare a sensitive child for the swab?

There is a ton of information on the piece. But, in general, to calm the nerves, Cristina recommends going to the pediatrician. “Doctors and nurses who test children regularly will know what to do if their child is nervous or scared,” she wrote.

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