WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) introduced the Protecting Every Student Act to change the federal government’s current formula for the allocation of Covid relief education funds to a per pupil basis, ensuring fairness across all school districts.
“The CDC estimates the average cost to return safely to school is approximately $442 per student nationwide. But instead of distributing funds based on that estimate, the COVID-19 relief funding formula used by the federal government prioritizes some school districts while overlooking others. For example, Blair Oaks only gets $77.47 per child, while Kansas City receives nearly $2,000. Wentzville only receives $163.17 per child while St. Louis City gets almost $2,200. This disparity taking place throughout the nation completely ignores the science and falls far short of fair,”said Luetkemeyer.
“The objective approach taken by my legislation ensures every school district receives the appropriate funding and more importantly, that every student has the same opportunity to attend school safety. No child’s safety, regardless of location, race, religion, or parents’ income level should be valued less than another’s. Every child in Missouri and America deserves equal treatment under our laws. Especially when it comes to health and safety.”
