Category: Federal Government Actions

CDC Reiterates School Quarantine Guidance as States and Districts Shorten Requirements (September 30, 2021)

On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its quarantine guidance for K-12 schools. The CDC has reiterated its recommendations  due to a number of states and school districts that have shortened the length of periods of quarantine. CDC asserts that those unvaccinated who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should immediately quarantine for 14 days unless instructed otherwise by a school official.

The CDC also advises that vaccinated individuals who are close contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19 don’t need to quarantine, but they should be tested 3-5 days following known exposure and continue to wear a mask indoors for the following 14 days.

According to K-12 Dive, the Center on Reinventing Public Education, which is keeping track of COVID-19 responses in the nation’s 100 largest school systems, many school districts across the country have shortened quarantine periods and clarified protocols since the start of the school year.

For quarantine guidelines from the CDC, click here.

Sources: K-12 Dive and the CDC.

FCC Second Filing Window for Connectivity Funds Open Until Oct. 13th (September 29, 2021)

On Tuesday, September 28th,  the Federal Communications Commission officially opened the second filing window for the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund, which can be used by schools and libraries for the purchase of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers and broadband connections to serve unmet needs for off-premises use by students, school staff and library patrons, according to an FCC press release.
The filing deadline is October 13, 2021 and requests for funding would be for the purchase of eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.

CDC Studies Show Masks Help Keep Students Safe from COVID-19 (September 26, 2021)

According to USA Today, two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies released on September 24, 2021 found that COVID-19 outbreaks and pediatric cases were more common when schools did not mandate masks.

One study of about 1,000 schools in two Arizona counties showed schools without mask mandates were 3.5 times more likely to have outbreaks than schools that started the year with a mask mandate. Another study of hundreds of U.S. counties found an increased rate of pediatric COVID-19 cases in areas where schools didn’t have mask mandates.

The findings support the assertion that: masks provide instantaneous protection from infection and, in combination with other prevention strategies, including vaccination, are critical in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

A third study revealed that, thus far this school year, COVID-19 Outbreaks have resulted in nearly 2,000 school closures.

For more from USA Today, click here.

PDE Provides Memo on Fiscal Training, Including IDEA-B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Funds (September 23, 2021)

On September 20, 2021, PDE BSE Director Carole L. Clancy disseminated a PennLink memo titled Fiscal Training, including IDEA-B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Funds. It informed recipients that the Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has oversight of states’ compliance with federal special education regulations and requirements.

OSEP has incorporated a component of its compliance monitoring verification visits to include a fiscal verification review. Some components of its fiscal verification review will include a review of the use of funds for coordinated early intervening services, maintenance of effort, and general use of federal, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B), and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Supplemental IDEA funds.

To assist the local educational agencies (LEAs) in working with these components of the federal on-site visits, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is providing training to familiarize special education directors and business administrators with clarifying information. This training will address the following topics: IDEA -B, 611; and ARP Supplemental IDEA Fiscal Programming, Contingency Funding, ACT 16, and Approved Private School Electronic Management System.

It is required that each school district and charter school send participants to this training. Because the training is highlighting the fiscal program data verifications associated with the IDEA-B fiscal reporting requirements, it is strongly recommended that the participants attending this training are the special education director and business administrator. Also, if a school district or charter school contracts for business services, its contracted business representative should attend.

In-person training sessions will be held in October and early November, with dates to be announced. Virtual sessions will be scheduled and recorded in case of updated COVID travel restrictions. Registration and session information is available at https://www.pattan.net/events/.

Any questions regarding the fiscal training should be directed to Dr. Del Hart, Chief, Division of Analysis & Financial Reporting, at 717.772.1114 or [email protected]. Any questions about registration should be directed to Karen Weaver at PaTTAN-Pittsburgh, 412-826-6842 or [email protected].

U.S. Ed. Secretary Miguel Cardona Launches Back to School Bus Tour, Stresses COVID Safety Measures (September 21, 2021)

On Monday, September 20, 2021, U.S. Secretary Miguel Cardona launched a five-day, five-state bus tour in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to highlight the return to in-person learning at the country’s public schools. He stressed the importance of COVID-19 mitigation efforts, including indoor face mask requirements, in keeping schools from encountering interruptions to in-person learning and moving instruction online as the pandemic continues to infect children and staff. 

The initial stop in the “Return To School Road Trip” bus tour of K-12 schools was held outside with all students, staff, and parents wearing face masks. 

Sec. Cardona also said he would strongly support school districts’ efforts to require students to be vaccinated if the vaccines are deemed safe, while expressing hope in the Pfizer company’s “promising news” in its Monday, September 20th release of data that show its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as of September 9, 2021, nearly 5.3 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, but nearly half a million of those cases have come in just the past two weeks,

Sources: NPR and WPR.