California schools that close their doors due to the novel coronavirus pandemic will continue to receive funding under an executive order issued on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, with a directive to direct more dollars toward remote learning opportunities and child care options during workday hours.
The action comes on the heels of the temporary closure of all schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District and schools in most of the state’s largest cities, some of which made the decision to close earlier this week. In providing a financial cushion, Newsom tackled one of the more difficult parts of the decision many communities face on how to respond to growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
“Closing schools has a massive, cascading effect for our kids and their families — especially those least equipped financially to deal with them,” Newsom said in a statement. “The needs of California kids must be met regardless of whether their school is open or closed. School districts that choose to close must use state educational dollars to quickly meet the needs of children and families. The State of California is working around the clock to help those districts and provide best practices to ensure no kid is left behind.”
The executive order, in particular, calls on schools to look for ways to continue educational coursework at a distance and to provide ways to keep school meals and for “supervision for students during ordinary school hours.”
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