Budget a Big Concern in Reopening California Schools

Bell High School senior Kenia Molina in front of her school, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Bell, Calif., on April 15, 2020. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—As schools prepare to reopen in September, they face not only the challenge of doing so safely amid concerns about COVID-19. They must also do so on a tighter budget.

The California School Boards Association (CSBA) hosted a webinar on June 16 to discuss its guidelines on reopening schools. Vernon Billy, CEO and executive director of CSBA, said during the meeting, “Additional staff, additional teachers, … screening equipment, potentially additional buses, additional sanitization stations—all ... will have to be implemented in the next few weeks to months.”