By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On July 31, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer held a press conference at Cazenovia High School.
A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer has served as the Senate minority leader since 2017.
According to Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) Superintendent Matthew Reilly, the senator is making an effort to visit every county in the state.
“I’m not sure why he chose Cazenovia, but I’m glad he did,” said Reilly.
During his address, the senator called for Congress to include the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA) in the “Corona-4” legislative package.
Crafted by Schumer in collaboration with U.S. Senator Patty Murray, the CCCERA will include $175 billion in assistance for K-12 schools, a significant amount of which would be received by New York State.
According to Schumer, local schools, like those across Central New York, lack the federal funds needed to meet the state and federal guidelines for safely reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone wants our schools to reopen, but the federal government must lead the way by funding the safety measures that would open the doors of schools throughout Central New York in a way that helps ensure the coronavirus does not needlessly spread or infect teachers, kids or staff,” said Schumer in a July 31 press release.
The senator stated that without sufficient funds to cover the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE), barriers, cleaning supplies, remote internet access, etc., local resources could be drained, local taxes could rise, and some schools might be forced to remain closed — especially given potential 20 percent cuts to state and local education budgets.
He added that without sufficient help from the federal government, New York State could be devastated and the nation could risk losing 4.5 million child care slots and 1.9 million education jobs, which would exacerbate students’ learning losses.
Schumer also called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve Madison County’s request for $15 million to provide broadband for nearly 1,000 households in the county.
Additionally, he pledged to continue his efforts to secure direct aid for state and local governments to prevent cuts to education budgets.
During his remarks, Reilly expressed his appreciation for Schumer’s support and actions, noting that COVID-19 has stressed district resources to the breaking point.
“While we have been able to create plans that will allow us to move nimbly between the in-person and virtual environments as the virus dictates, success cannot be had through planning alone,” Reilly said in his prepared remarks. “Plans can only be effective if they have the resources to support them.”
The superintendent highlighted the following costs associated with safely reopening amid COVID-19:
The cost of PPE to safeguard against infections.
The cost of health and safety training to ensure all staff and students know how to follow protocols.
The cost of doubling the number of bus runs to provide socially distanced, safe transportation.
The cost of increased staffing and hours for building maintenance in order to provide a clean and disinfected learning environment on a daily basis.
The cost of providing Internet access to families (up to 10 percent) that would be otherwise unable to access the virtual learning environment.
“We will incur all of these additional costs all while the specter of a 20 percent reduction in state aid looms . . .” Reilly said. “We desperately need the help of the Federal Government as we seek to rise to these challenges.”
The CCSD Reopening Plan 2020-2021 is available online at cazenoviacsd.com.
For more information on Senator Schumer, visit schumer.senate.gov/about-chuck.
Additional information on the CCCERA is available at help.senate.gov.
