U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said she will help ensure federal aid to be directed towards private and religious schools through the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which has been passed by the House and is stalled in the Senate.
“I’m sure you, the President, and Democrats and Republicans who are fair-minded are going to rectify that. No?” asked Dolan.
“Absolutely,” DeVos responded to Dolan. “And I know that there’s been a pause in consideration of an additional package. I think rightfully so.”
“We will continue to be engaged in those discussions, and the White House and the President are really committed to fighting for the opportunities for these children to be able to continue in the schools their families have selected,” she added.
Most of the CARES Act money is being distributed to school districts using the Title I formula, meaning that districts with more students from low-income families are getting more relief money. In the April 30 guidance, however, DeVos instructed districts to also set aside a portion of the CARES money to support students in private schools based on total enrollments, rather than just the number of low-income students.
“Under the CARES Act programs, services are available for all students—public and non-public—without regard to poverty,” the guidance read.
States reacted differently to the guidance. Kentucky and Tennessee said they would follow the guidance, allowing CARES money to flow through public schools to private schools based on overall enrollment. By contrast, education officials in Indiana and Maine said they would distribute funds based on their own interpretations of the CARES Act and prioritize low-income students, no matter what schools they attend.