DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is expecting all public schools in the District to fully reopen for in-person learning, five days a week in the fall.
The Mayor’s Office made the announcement as part of a statement on Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal.
“We have stuck together through this pandemic – now, we need a strong citywide commitment to reopening this fall so that we can meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of all our students,” Bowser said in the statement.
“We also know that funding is an essential part of recovery. The FY 22 UPSFF is a commitment to delivering the funding and resources schools need, with a focus on enhancing equity and supporting our most vulnerable students. We are proud to make this historic investment in our public schools as we work together to reopen and recover.”
The mayor came together with public school leaders on Thursday, April 8 and shared her vision for the reopening of schools in the fall to give them as much time as possible to identify challenges and plan accordingly to return to five days of in-person education, according to the release.
District officials will cooperate with school communities “to ensure they have staff, space, and other resources they need to safely accommodate all students.”
Schools are expected to share their plans with the city and implement strong health protocols in the coming months.
Bowser’s budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2022 would increase the uniform per student funding formula (UPSFF) by 3.6 percent, for over $2 billion for students in public and charter schools.