Gov. Newsom signs $6.6B package aimed to reopen public schools

Virtual ceremony calls for in-person instruction

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB-86 Friday, March 5, allocating $6.6 billion to accelerate the safe return of in-person instruction across California, while empowering schools to immediately expand academic, mental health and social-emotional supports, including over the summer.

After being announced earlier in the week, the assembly bill passed by the Legislature with overwhelming, bipartisan support.

“This package of funding and supports for our schools recognizes that in-person education is essential to meet not only the learning needs, but the mental health and social-emotional needs of our kids – especially the youngest and the most vulnerable,” expressed Gov. Newsom. “The state is committed to creating safe learning environments for students and safe workplaces for educators as we build on months of progress to accelerate the pace of school reopenings across California.”

The Governor signed AB 86 in a virtual ceremony joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, State Board of Education President Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Senators Nancy Skinner, John Laird and Connie Leyva and Assembly members Phil Ting and Kevin McCarty.

"We're doing this virtually, despite signing a bill about in-person instruction," pointed out Gov. Newsom. "As you see, we are in many different parts of the State. We did not want to delay this any further."

The package also codifies multiple successful state programs to support safe school reopenings:

• Vaccine Prioritization for K-12 School Staff. The package codifies the Governor’s commitment to set aside 10 percent of vaccines for education workers. This commitment ensures that the state prioritization of school staff, in place since January, is made real in all 58 counties. Since the Governor’s announcement, the state has collaborated with county health departments, the Biden Administration and providers such as Kaiser Permanente to accelerate vaccine access for K-12 school staff starting March 1.
• Data Reporting. The package codifies data reporting requirements, including requirements for schools to report reopening status and COVID-19 safety measures. These statutory requirements will help build on efforts to increase transparency, including interactive geospatial maps displayed on the Safe Schools Hub.
• State Safe Schools Team. The package also allocates $25 million to the State Safe Schools Team, which serves to provide technical assistance, oversight and accountability to the over 10,000 public schools in the state. The capacity will enhance the Team’s reach, and the Team will conduct a safety review of any school with two or more COVID-19 outbreaks.

"When you look at 58 counties, 1,000+ school districts, this truly is a challenge at scale no other state in the country is faced with," Gov. Newsom reminded the group of legislatures.

The budget package is the result of months of work by the Governor’s Office, Senate and Assembly. The state’s work to accelerate safe school reopenings to date has included securing federal approval to use Medicaid funding for voluntary COVID-19 testing in schools, delivering three months of PPE and safety supplies to all schools at no cost and providing direct support to over 1,000 schools in 41 counties to implement COVID-19 testing and direct technical assistance to over 300 school districts.