It was also reassuring to hear questions regarding the state's possible assistance for schools come up at today's Ways and Means hearing:
During a hearing on the education components of Gov. Charlie Baker's $44.6 billion fiscal 2021 budget, House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Thomas Stanley asked state education officials if they anticipate a need for any additional funding associated with the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, or if the costs for schools to respond would "fall on the backs of the districts."
"I'm just thinking there may be a need to hire more people cleaning, and down the road, depending on how bad this gets, how many school districts are prepared to have the kids learn from home for a period of time, things like that," the Waltham Democrat said during the hearing at the Malden senior center.
For those asking about meals, I'd suggest reviewing this memo from USDA School Nutrition, which seems to suggest that feeding kids outside of school is allowed, but doing so and not requiring them to eat on-site requires a Presidential declaration of emergency?
This piece from the Atlantic looking at what prolonged closure of schools would have for consequences is a good start, and I particularly appreciate that they ran with the example of a district that doesn't have widespread internet access. We can't just move school online!
This Twitter thread from Professor Nicholas Christakis at Yale which looks at the impact of school closure on the spread of the 1918 flu is both fascinating and useful. It starts here:
Let's talk about school closures re COVID-19. It's a tough topic, scientifically and pragmatically. It's hard to estimate the benefits precisely. And closing schools can have costs, such as health care workers having to stay home, kids missing subsidized lunches, etc. 1/
— Nicholas A. Christakis (@NAChristakis) March 4, 2020
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