Category: Federal Government Actions

Congress Ends USDA School Meal Waivers (March 13, 2022)

Universal school meals emerged out of pandemic-era waivers designed to help feed hungry children during the crisis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waivers allowed all K-12 students, rather than only those eligible for free and reduced-price meals, to get free school breakfast and lunch no matter their family’s income from March 2020 through the 2021-22 school year. 

With those waivers set to expire June 30, 2022, school nutrition advocates had urged Congress for an extension in the federal fiscal 2022 spending bill. But that didn’t happen, as an appropriations bill without the waivers passed the House Wednesday night (3/9/22) and then the Senate Thursday night (3/10/22). The bill now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

Not only will universal school meals come to a screeching halt this summer, but schools will also lose flexibilities and increased reimbursement rates that USDA provided through other waivers to help district nutrition programs cope with supply chain woes. 

The cost for Congress to continue USDA’s waiver authority in this spending bill was estimated at $11 billion, Politico reported. 

To read more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Sec. Cardona Releases Statement on One-Year Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan (March 13, 2022)

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021 and exactly one year later U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona highlighted its impacts on America’s schools in the following statement:

“When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, the Department of Education went straight to work delivering an unprecedented $130 billion to help schools safely reopen and welcome nearly 100 percent of America’s K-12 students back into the classroom for in-person learning. We also delivered tens of billions of dollars to begin closing longstanding equity gaps in higher education and help our colleges and universities invest in COVID-19 testing and campus safety, keep tuitions stable, and provide financially struggling students with direct assistance to stay enrolled. Today, the Department is advising state and local leaders on how they can continue leveraging American Rescue Plan funds to establish new summer and afterschool programs; grow and strengthen a talented and diverse educator workforce; and invest in tutors, counselors, and other school staff who can lessen the burden on teachers and help tend to our children’s social, emotional, and mental health needs. From kindergarten to high school to college and careers, our North Star remains clear: a robust and equitable recovery that ensures every student is able to succeed and pursue their dreams.” The White House also issued a fact sheet to celebrate the impact ARP funds are having in classrooms. Featuring highlights from across the country, the fact sheet outlines how ARP dollars helped schools safely re-open and are addressing the academic and mental health needs of students. You can view that fact sheet at:  FACT SHEET: How The American Rescue Plan Is Keeping America’s Schools Open Safely, Combating Learning Loss, And Addressing Student Mental Health | The White House

CDC Provides New Mask-Wearing Recommendations (February 26, 2022)

New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that 70 percent of Americans can now stop wearing masks, and no longer need to social distance or avoid crowded indoor spaces. The recommendations, published on February 25, 2022,  no longer exclusively rely on the number of cases in a community to determine the need for restrictions such as mask wearing. The new approach is for counties to take into account three methods for assessing the level risk regarding the virus:

1. New COVID-related hospital admissions over the previous week;
2. the percentage of hospital beds occupied by patients with COVID; and
3. New COVID cases per 100,000 people over the previous week.

Based on the above three factors, counties can calculate whether there is a is low, medium, or high risk to their residents. Only areas of high risk should require everyone to wear a mask. However, unvaccinated people should wear masks, even in low-risk areas.

To view the CDC guidelines, click here.

CDC Updates COVID-19 FAQs and Releases Isolation/Quarantine Flow Charts (February 24, 2022)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its Frequently Asked Questions for parents and caregivers about COVID-19 precautions in schools. The resource includes information about vaccines, masking, testing, mealtimes, ventilation and more. The document, titled Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Caregivers about COVID-19 Precautions in Schools, can be accessed by clicking here.

The CDC has also released isolation and quarantine decision-making flowcharts for instances whereby children may have COVID-19 while attending early care and education programs.  The document is titled Isolation and Quarantine in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs. To access the flow chart, click here.