Congress Passes COVID-19 Relief, Year-End Spending Deal

Congress passed a bill Monday night that includes both $900 billion in COVID-19 relief and a $1.4 trillion year-end spending agreement needed to prevent a government shut-down. The full 5,593 bill can be viewed here. 

The bill now goes to President Trump for his signature. 

Highlights from the bill include:

COVID Relief Bill 

Economic Assistance

Rebates for Americans:  Provides a refundable tax credit in the amount of $600 per eligible family member. The credit is $600 per taxpayer ($1,200 for married filing jointly), in addition to $600 per qualifying child. The credit phases out starting at $75,000 of modified adjusted gross income. 

Eviction Moratorium. Extends the CDC eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021.

Broadband

Grants for Broadband Connectivity. Establishes two grant programs at the NTIA. The first is a $1 billion grant program to support broadband connectivity on tribal lands throughout the country. The grants would be directed to tribal governments to be used not only for broadband deployment on tribal lands, but also telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion. The second is a $300 million broadband deployment program to support broadband infrastructure deployment to areas lacking broadband, especially rural areas. The grants would be issued to qualifying partnerships between state and local governments and fixed broadband providers. Priority for grants would be given to networks that would reach the most unserved consumers.

FCC Data Mapping: Provides $65 million to the FCC to create broadband data maps required under the Broadband DATA Act. 

Benefit for Broadband Service During Emergency Period Relating to COVID-19. Establishes a $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program at the FCC, under which eligible households may receive a discount of up to $50, or up to $75 on Tribal lands, off the cost of internet service and a subsidy for low-cost devices such as computers and tablets. Internet service providers that provide the discounted service or devices to customers can receive a reimbursement from the FCC for such costs. Households that qualify for the benefit include those with: children that qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, Pell grant recipients, recently laid off or furloughed workers, an individual who qualifies for the Lifeline program, or an individual who qualifies for a low-income or COVID-19 discount program offered by internet service providers.

Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act. Establishes the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (Office) at the NTIA. This Office would be tasked with performing certain responsibilities related to broadband access, adoption, and deployment, such as performing public outreach to promote access and adoption of high-speed broadband service, and streamlining and standardizing the process for applying for Federal broadband support. The Office would also track Federal broadband support funds, and coordinate Federal broadband support programs within the Executive Branch and with the FCC to ensure unserved Americans have access to connectivity and to prevent duplication of broadband deployment programs

Secure and Trusted Communications Network Reimbursement Program. Appropriates $1.9 billion for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Reimbursement Program. Expands eligibility for the Secure and Trusted Reimbursement Program at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that compensates providers for the cost of removing and replacing certain unsecure equipment from their networks. It also ensures that smaller providers and public or private educational institutions are prioritized for such reimbursements.

Connecting Minority Communities. Establishes an Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to focus on broadband access and adoption at Historically Black colleges or universities, Tribal colleges and universities, and other Minority-serving institutions, including the students, faculty, and staff of such institutions and their surrounding communities.

Education 

Education Stabilization Fund: $82 billion Education Stabilization Fund to provide flexible funding to support the educational needs of States, school districts, and institutions of higher education and the students they serve in response to coronavirus.

Emergency Relief Fund: $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which provides formula funding to States and school districts to help them respond to coronavirus.

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief: $4.1 billion for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, including $2.75 billion for non-public schools. 

Educator Expense Deduction:  Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue guidance or regulations providing that personal protective equipment and other supplies used for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 are treated as eligible expenses for purposes of the educator expense deduction. Such regulations or guidance shall be retroactive to March 12, 2020. 

Appropriations Bill

Broadband

Rural Broadband: Invests more than $730 million in the expansion of broadband service to provide economic development opportunities and improved education and healthcare services. 

FCC:  $33 million is provided for the FCC to improve its broadband maps as required by the Broadband DATA Act.

Education 

Student Support and Academic Enrichment State Grants:Provides $1.2 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment State Grants, an increase of $10 million above the 2020 enacted level. 

Education Innovation and Research: Provides $67 million within the Education Innovation and Research program, an increase of $2 million above the 2020 enacted level, for grants to expand opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), including computer science.

Public Broadcasting: Provides $475 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), in 2023 advance funding, an increase of $10 million above the 2020 enacted level. In addition, the bill includes $20 million for the interconnection system and system wide infrastructure, the same as the 2020 enacted level. 

Institute of Museum and Library Services: $257 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an increase of $5 million above the 2020 enacted level.

State Superintendent Candidate Forum January 7

The Wisconsin Public Education Network and the League of Women Voters are holding a State Superintendent Candidate Forum on January 7 at 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to hear from the crowded field of candidates vying to replace State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor--who is not running for re-election-- before the February 16, 2021 primary. Register to attend here and submit a potential question about WEMTA's priority issues here. 

There are currently seven candidates registered with the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC). In order to officially get on the ballot, each candidate needs to submit at least 2,000 valid signatures to the WEC by January 5, 2021. 

The candidates trying to get on the primary ballot are: Sheila Briggs, an assistant state superintendent for the Department of Public Instruction; Joe Fenrick, a Fond du Lac Teacher; Troy Gunderson, who recently retired as superintendent of the West Salem School District; Shandowlyon Hendricks-Williams, Director of Governor Tony Evers’ Milwaukee Office and Education Administrative Director of DPI’s Teacher Education, Professional Development and Licensing (TEPDL) team; Deborah Kerr, former superintendent in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer; Steve Krull, a principal at Milwaukee's Garland Elementary School; and Jill Underly, superintendent of the rural Pecatonica Area School District.

The top two vote-getters from the February 16 primary will advance to the general election on April 6.  

Sign Up NOW for Gov. Evers' Education Listening Session on Dec. 16

Governor Evers is holding a virtual education budget listening session on December 16 at 6 p.m. to hear from Wisconsinites about the issues that are important to them. He will use this input to develop his next state budget.

It is critical that WEMTA members attend this education listening session to discuss the importance of school library and instructional media professionals as well as the need for increased investments in educational technology.   

You must register in advance to attend using the link:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckcuyspjooG9N5EjovVQowZnIlG-5WN8bO

These listening sessions are a great opportunity for you to speak directly to key members of the Governor's policy staff in Zoom breakout rooms. WEMTA has created a fact sheet that outlines our budget priorities and includes tips on how to have a successful listening session. Click here to see the fact sheet. 

This is a great opportunity to:

• Provide real-life examples from the past several months that showcase the importance  of school library and instructional media professionals and the need for state investments in educational technology.  

• Highlight the fact that there is  currently not a single state funding source that is dedicated for educational technology  professional development activities.

• Showcase how lack of broadband access in Wisconsin is widening the homework gap.

Budget Listening Session on Our Schools and Education

Wednesday, December 16 at 6 p.m

Register to attend here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckcuyspjooG9N5EjovVQowZnIlG-5WN8bO

Two Opportunities to Comment on Proposed DPI Rule Changes

There are two opportunities to comment on rule changes being proposed to DPI that impact ESSA grant funds and virtual summer school funding. 

DPI Request for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program Flexibility 

DPI has drafted a waiver request application that they plan to submit to the federal government seeking flexibility related to the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program (ESSA Title IV Part A of ESSA) due to COVID-19 disruptions. Written comments on the proposed waiver can be submitted until December 11, 2020 at 12 p.m. using the following link: https://forms.gle/hECwSotMAmh4GgA6A.

The waiver would grant the following flexibilities:

• Local Education Agencies (LEAs) receiving more than $30,000 under Title IV, Part A would not be required to demonstrate that a needs assessment was completed for the 2020-21 school year.  Districts are currently required to do the assessments to identify areas of improvement related to well-rounded education; conditions to create a safe and healthy environment; and access to personalized learning experiences supported by technology and professional development for the effective use of data and technology.
  

• LEAs receiving more than $30,000 under Title IV, Part A would not be required to allocate specific amounts of their 2020-21 Title IV, Part A grant funds toward well-rounded education, supporting safe and healthy students and effective use of technology.
  

• LEAs receiving more than $30,000 under Title IV, Part A would have the ability to allocate more than 15% of the available Title IV, Part A funds in the 2020-21 application (2020-21 allocation and 2019-20 carryover) for technology infrastructure.
  

Expanding Virtual Summer and Interim Classes 

DPI is holding a public hearing on December 11 at 10 a.m. on their proposed administrative rule update expanding the options for school districts to receive state aid for providing virtual instruction. Specifically, the proposed rule will amend ch. PI 17 to include online virtual instruction taught to any grade level during summer classes or laboratory periods that are necessary for academic purposes.

Date and Time: Friday, December 11, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Location: Phone Number +1 608-620-9781 Conference ID: 123 710 357#