White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the government’s coronavirus relief package on Monday, which would not release most of its education funding before the current fiscal year.
Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that only $ 6 billion of the $ 128 billion set aside for public K-12 schools would go to schools in 2021.
When asked about this, Psaki suggested that the administration needed to help schools control the use of funds.
“Well, a big part of the challenge here for a number of schools is that they need – to operate responsibly – and, given the threat of budget cuts, they need to compel funds according to spending plans, instead of running out all balances as soon as they are received, “she said.
BIDEN $ 128 billion EDUCATION BUDGET FRACTION WOULD GO TO SCHOOLS IN 2021, CBO ESTIMATES
“So the challenge here is how do they plan ahead? Right. They can hire if they need to hire additional teachers now for smaller classes or if they need to hire bus drivers or if they need to make improvements to their facilities.”
She added: “They want to be able to understand, understandably, like any company or company, that they will be able to hire teachers next year and next. That is why this funding is so essential, it is because they need to be able to plan ahead so they can make improvements. Now, sign up now. “
Psaki’s comments came amid a broader controversy over the government’s stance on the reopening of schools and the role that organized labor played in keeping them closed.
The $ 128.5 billion American Biden Rescue Plan would flow primarily as grants for state and local education agencies to distribute.
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A White House official previously clarified that the Biden administration will not allocate funds based on CBO projections and said the president is committed to providing schools with the resources they need to reopen safely and fully serve their students, including more funding for cover COVID-19- related costs, budget deficits and financial certainty.
The official added that Biden’s proposal is based on a careful assessment of urgent needs for the academic year 2021 and the next and that management believes, based on this analysis, that the resources would be used much faster than the CBO supposes.
Audrey Conklin of Fox News contributed to this report.