INDIANAPOLIS — School and universities across the country could lose out on vital federal funding if they don’t reopen for in-person classes this fall, under a bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.
Banks and Wisconsin Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany introduced the Reopen Our Schools Act Thursday, which would halt a school’s federal funding if it refused to reopen for in-person classes by Sept. 8.
“We need to change the subject from ‘our schools might not reopen in the fall’ to ‘our schools will reopen in the fall and here’s what we need to do it,’” Banks said in a release. “America is the land of opportunity where education is guaranteed to all children. We’re not living up that guarantee at the moment.”
Banks’ act cites a Wall Street Journal article which states remote learning “didn’t work,” and pushes for schools to reopen to help the economy.
“Reopening our schools is the lynchpin to reopening our economy,” Banks said. “Many parents rely on their kids going to school so they can go to work. To get our society up and running again, we need our children back in school.”
Under the Reopen Our Schools Act, schools must provide a plan to reopen safely. The U.S. Secretary of Education can create a waiver process.
