CORNING, NY (WSKG) - In a push for passage of the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA), U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) held a news conference Wednesday in Chemung County.
Amid concerns voiced by parents and school officials, federal aid package comes the same week that New York State offered guidance on how to reopen schools this fall.
The Senate Minority Leader said he wants schools open, but he wants it to be safe.
“How are we going to do that?” Schumer asked. “The answer is very simple: If we give the schools the dollars they need to make sure the kids are safe and the teachers are safe and the employees are safe, we can sort of have our cake and eat it too.”
Schumer said the latest package is meant to help K-12 schools cover reopening costs, such as purchasing PPE, converting cafeterias and gymnasiums into classrooms, and additional support for transportation.
There are also funds for the purchase of internet hotspots and at-home internet services for students and educators. Many lack access to qualitybroadband.
The relief package includes $175 billion for the nation's schools. Schumer said New York would see “a massive chunk.” However, no specific number was given.