Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced a $10 million program on Tuesday to give parents a choice if their public schools close, mandate masks, or subject their children to other COVID-19 restrictions.
The COVID-19 Educational Recovery Benefit program will fund up to $7,000 per student for child care, transportation, online tutoring, and tuition.
Requirements for eligible families include that they must have a total household income that is at or below 350% of the Federal Poverty Level.
In addition to meeting income requirements, parents and families applying for the program must show that their current school is isolating, quarantining, or subjecting children to physical COVID-19 constraints in schools, such as requiring the use of masks or providing preferential treatment to vaccinated students — contrary to current Arizona state law.
Grant applications will be accepted from Arizona families online beginning Friday, August 20 on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We are committed to keeping all Arizona kids on track, closing the achievement gap, and equipping underserved students and families with the tools they need to thrive,” Ducey said. “Our COVID-19 Educational Recovery Benefit will empower parents to exercise their choice when it comes to their child’s education and COVID-19 mitigation strategies.”
“It will also give families in need the opportunity to access educational resources like tutoring, child care, transportation, and other needs,” he added. “We know that historically disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of excessive and overbearing measures, and we want to ensure these students are protected.”
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In addition, Ducey also announced district and charter schools following all state laws and remaining open for in-person instruction will be eligible for $163 million in grant funding aimed at boosting resources for schools that received limited federal investment in previously enacted COVID-19 relief legislation.
“Safety recommendations are welcomed and encouraged — mandates that place more stress on students and families aren’t,” Ducey said in a statement. “These grants acknowledge efforts by schools and educators that are following state laws and keeping their classroom doors open for Arizona’s students.”
Democratic House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding accused Ducey of creating his own “Hunger Games” for Arizona schools with his actions.
“It’s a sickening irony that he’s doing this by dangling millions of federally provided funds for COVID-19 relief and forcing school districts to choose between the health and safety of kids and educators, or millions in additional funding that Republicans have withheld for years,” Bolding said in a statement. “With the delta variant running rampant and COVID-19 cases among children on the rise, it’s disgusting to put a bounty on spreading this illness to kids and punishing schools that try to operate safely.”
Arizona is one of eight states that have laws or executive orders banning mask requirements in public schools.
In all, at least 16 districts in Arizona are defying those rules, requiring students and staff to wear masks while indoors amid fears over the delta variant.
At least one other state, Florida, is giving private school vouchers to parents who say a public school district’s mask-wearing requirements amount to harassment of their children.
Arizona has seen coronavirus cases surge in the last six weeks, and numerous school districts have had large outbreaks. State health officials on Tuesday reported 2,661 cases and three deaths from the virus.
Since the pandemic began, the Arizona Department of Health Services has reported more than 970,523 cases and 18,467 deaths from the virus. Fifty-four percent of the 7.1 million Arizona people living in the state have been vaccinated.
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