The Trump administration spent its Wednesday not so much using the bully pulpit as throwing it at the heads of America’s school officials, threatening to withhold federal funds from school districts if they refuse to reopen. An education law professor tells Mother Jones that it’s a hollow threat without any legal basis, but that there are still gray areas in which the White House could maneuver.
On Twitter, Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal funds from school districts if they refuse to reopen. He added that he disagreed with the CDC’s guidance for reopening schools, which includes dismissing school when COVID outbreaks occur, enforcing social distancing within classes, limiting sharing, and conducting daily health checks, among other recommendations. He called the guidance “very tough & expensive.”
On Fox News, DeVos told Tucker Carlson that the Education Department is “seriously considering” withholding federal funds, blaming “adults who are fear-mongering and making excuses” for not reopening. She added that they need to “turn their attention on what is right for students and for their families.” (California, Michigan, and three other states sued the Education Department on Tuesday, alleging that it wrongfully interpreted the CARES Act to divert public dollars to private schools.) And on Wednesday, as the CDC announced it would alter its guidance on reopening schools next week, Vice President Mike Pence saidduring a White House coronavirus task force briefing that additional relief funds should be conditioned on whether school buildings open.
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