Enrollment drops, staff shortages cause budget whiplash for top school districts
The contrasting trends underscore the pandemic’s wildly variable impact on districts — and the key impact of enrollment on revenue
Data From 100 Large Urban Districts Show Half Facing Shortages in Key Positions. Fixing That Will Mean Rethinking Teaching & Working in Schools
Our analysis of district information and local media reports finds 93 of 100 large and urban districts have mentioned staffing shortages in the 2021-22 school year.
Notes from our database: The latest on 2021-22’s rocky return to school
The scramble to reopen schools, keep students safe, and keep them learning hasn’t abated.
More masks, more vaccines, more online learning, but what about quarantines? The latest on school district fall reopening
More school districts are requiring masks and vaccines, and remote learning plans are more detailed as the threat of the Delta variant looms.
First look at ESSER priorities: Districts are placing their bets on what they know
A $189 billion infusion of federal COVID relief funding gives America’s school districts an unprecedented opportunity to invest in lasting improvements in public education and make their students whole after a year and a half of disruptions.
First District Reopening Plans Illuminate Tradeoffs and Confusion In Politically Charged Environment
Last week, school reopening was thrust into the national and political spotlight as President Donald Trump polarized the issue and Betsy DeVos, his education secretary, threatened to divert federal funding from schools that do not open in-person. Districts and states have been slow to release much detail on what to expect in the fall, but […]
The Wait for Fall Reopening Plans, and the First Details to Emerge
Parents, students, teachers, policymakers, and community members are all waiting for schools to release fall reopening plans. Four months into COVID-19, and just weeks out from the new school year, very few districts in our database report concrete expectations for the 2020-21 school year. CRPE has been watching for reopening plans for the 100 districts […]
Summer Haze: School Districts Slow to Communicate What Will Happen After the School Year Ends
The end of an unusual school year is on the horizon, yet few districts have provided details on what, if any, summer learning opportunities their students will have. Summer school is typically used to make up missed credits, provide enrichment, or give working families much-needed childcare. This year, there are new, urgent needs. Almost every […]
Dear States: Don’t Leave Remote Learning to Chance
Initial findings from the first month of CRPE’s in-depth reviews of district and charter school organizations’ responses to the COVID-19 crisis has revealed major gaps in learning opportunities available to students. States play critical roles in ensuring schools address this challenge. Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research in partnership with the […]
The Latest From a Nationwide Survey: Districts Continue to Struggle Toward Online Learning
This is the second in a series of updates on our findings on school district response plans. See our latest analysis here. Last week, we released an initial database of district responses to COVID-19, which tracked how districts were serving the basic needs of their students and families in the face of school closures. Since […]
