July 20, 2020 (Alexandria, VA) -- Anna Maria Chávez, Executive Director & CEO National School Boards Association issued the following statement regarding federal support of public schools:

“The National School Boards Association (NSBA) urges Congress to dedicate the urgently needed funding that public schools require to address the challenges of reopening their school building doors to students and staff. 

“For schools to reopen safely, essential and significant changes will need to take place in areas including access to high-speed broadband, meal distribution, infrastructure, staffing, transportation, and personal protective equipment, and that requires much more than what school districts have in their ever shrinking budgets. 

“The need has never been more crucial for the federal government to renew its investment in public schools and provide dedicated funding for public K-12 education so that school districts will have the resources they need to address the revenue shortfalls and new expenses. 

“Inaction now will only hinder the ability of public schools and education leaders to do what is required to serve each of our nation’s 50 million public schoolchildren. 

“Investing in neighborhood public schools is the best thing the federal government can do right now to support schoolchildren and the future of our nation. That support is needed right now.” 

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The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a federation of state associations and the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands that represent locally elected school board officials serving approximately 50 million public school students regardless of their disability, ethnicity, socio-economic status or citizenship. Working with, though, and for our state association members, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. We believe that public education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people and that each child deserves equitable access to an education that maximizes their individual potential. For more information, visit www.nsba.org/About. 

Media Contact: Charlotte Blane cblane@nsba.org 703-838-6231