Week in Review 10-16-2020

Week in Review > Week in Review 10-16-2020

Posted by Buckeye Association of School Administrators on October 16th, 2020

CORONAVIRUS

Over the past week, Ohio three times set new records for single-day increases in new cases of COVID-19, notching 1,840 cases Friday; 2,039 Wednesday; and 2,178 Thursday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The state also surpassed 5,000 total deaths in Monday’s case report. Gov. Mike DeWine stressed in his Thursday briefing that, “This is the worst situation Ohio has been in.” He also noted that hospitalizations are rising significantly and ICU admissions went up “rather dramatically.”

The state still has $900 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to distribute, Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks told Hannah News in an interview. The remaining dollars are likely to go to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and other state agencies to continue responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other entities to help struggling individuals and small businesses pay their bills, she said.

EDUCATION

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Friday that it is extending regulatory flexibility in light of the pandemic to allow schools to offer free meals to all children through the current academic year. USDA had previously approved flexibility through December.

About $10 million in rebates is available for schools to help defray the cost of replacing older buses and improve air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced. The agency is accepting requests until Friday, Oct. 30 and will take questions about applying at DERA@epa.gov. To learn more about the rebate program, applicant eligibility, selection process, available technologies, and informational webinar dates, visit www.epa.gov/dera/rebates.

The State Board of Education opted for deeper cuts elsewhere to avoid even modest reductions in early childhood education and literacy programs in submitting its FY22-23 budget request to the DeWine administration this week. The final request also jettisoned draft language urging a reduction in spending in the EdChoice program.