The Washigtnon Post - 03.04.2020

B4 eZ Re the washington post.friday, april 3 , 2020

BY PERRY STEIN

D.C. charter schools get most of their funding from the government, a revenue stream that con- tinues to flow as the coronavirus grinds the District’s economy to a halt. But some of the schools are now weighing whether they should apply for federal bailout money aimed at helping small businesses and nonprofit organizations hurt by the crisis. It’s a request that the education council chairman wonders whether the schools should be making when so many companies and organizations have lost nearly all of their revenue and there are finite resources to go around. “We are in an ethical dilemma,” said D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At Large), who chairs the Education Committee. “The challenge is digging deep inside of yourself and seeing where you see yourself in the pecking order of needs in our community.” But charter leaders say they have incurred unexpected and hefty costs during the school closures. If they qualify for the money and need it, they said, they should use it. The $2 trillion federal relief package finalized last week, offi- cially known as the CArES Act, includes nearly $350 billion for the Paycheck Protection Pro- gram, a small-business loan program. The program incentivizes small businesses with fewer than 500 employees to keep their workers by covering about two months of paychecks for employees who make less than $100,000 annually. The businesses can

have their loans forgiven if they avoid layoffs or pay cuts. A spokesman for the federal Small Business Administration said the agency will release more guidance about the Paycheck Pro- tection Program, and it is still uncertain who will qualify for the loan. The National Alliance for Pub- lic Charter Schools, a national charter advocacy organization, is advising charter schools to apply to the program. And although it is unclear how many of the city’s 62 charter operators plan to apply, Scott Pearson, executive di- rector of the District’s charter regulatory and authorizing board, said he hopes all qualify- ing schools submit an applica- tion. “There is a lot of uncertainty about the city budget,” Pearson said. “A bsent of something like this program, we should expect layoffs from public charter schools, and the whole point of this program is to prevent these layoffs.” Charter schools, which educate 47 percent of the city’s nearly 100,000 public school students, are publicly funded and privately operated. The city spends a base of about $11,000 to educate each public school student in both sectors. Though some charter schools

receive private donations, the bulk of their funding comes from the government. But Pearson and charter school leaders said that many campuses have spent extra money to buy laptops and provide groceries and school sup- plies to students during the ex- tended closures. others expect to see private donations dry up, and they fear they will require more resources in coming months to ensure their students do not fall behind in their studies. D.C. mayor muriel E. Bowser (D) proposed in february to increase education spending by 4 percent next fiscal year, and Grosso said he will fight to keep that bump intact. He said businesses that rely on private spending — including restaurants and retailers — probably have greater need than charter schools and should be prioritized in divvying up these funds for small businesses. Under federal law, the District is required to set up a uniform formula to fund charter and traditional schools equally on the basis of enrollment. The city provides buildings to the traditional public school system and allo- cates additional money to each charter student so their schools can acquire and maintain their facilities. The traditional school system would not qualify for the federal small-business loans. But charter advocates have long argued that their sector is unequally funded. The traditional public school system, advocates say, can use city services, including legal counsel, that charter schools must pay for

on their own. Tracy Wright, chief executive at Paul Public Charter School, said she plans to apply for federal funding through the relief package. She said that her school dispatched 450 computers to students to use during remote learn- ing and that she will need extra cash to repair and replace broken computers. other schools said they are reviewing their finances and mulling whether they should apply. raymond Weeden, principal at Thurgood marshall Academy Public Charter School, said his school purchased 150 computers for students to use during the school closures and is canceling its annual fundraising gala in April. “In terms of having costs that no one was expecting to have, we are definitely having those,” Weeden said. “We are analyzing and looking into it and trying to see if it make senses for us to apply.” The Bowser administration said it does not have a stance on whether charter schools should apply to the loan program but said it supports “schools using all legally available tools” to help them. “In this unprecedented moment,” Deputy mayor for Educa- tion Paul Kihn wrote in a state- ment, “we are focused on support all of our public school communi- ties as we navigate new challeng- es together.” [email protected]

aaron gregg contributed to this report.

the District

Charter schools consider applying for federal loans

Leaders say funds meant to help businesses could ease closure-related costs

of the second phase of the Silver Line, which has been delayed two years and is now scheduled to open in April 2021. The budget assumes $5 million in fare revenue from the rail segment, based on an estimated 1,700 daily riders paying an average of $3.85. But like everything else, that projection is now in question. “The world that we’re in right now is a little bit upside down, and the world we’re going to see is going to have a lot of changing dynamics,” said metro board member Gregory Slater, who also is maryland transportation secre- tary. “Everything is going to be a little different.” [email protected]

will provide a bigger discount for weekly passes. metro also plans to shorten weekend wait times, cutting red Line waits to six minutes from eight minutes on Sundays and to 12 minutes from 15 minutes on all other lines. frequency will also increase on several metrobus routes. But the gains come with a 10-cent metrorail fare hike, the first in three years, increasing the peak-hour base fare to $2.35. Nearly $7 million was cut from metrobus, resulting in the elimi- nation and consolidation of some routes. The budget also includes $78.4 million to begin operation

get shortfalls due to losses in revenue streams like sales tax and property tax. “Unfortunately, this uncertainty will continue as we learn about the true economic consequences covid- 19 has had,” he added. “We are working to be flexible and alert as the changes come.” At least for now, several initia- tives that riders have wanted are included in the approved budget. The rail system will stay open longer, running until midnight monday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on friday and Satur- day. The transit agency will also offer a flat $2 weekend fare. The cost of a bus-to-rail transfer will be cut to 50 cents, and the agency

its budget at the end of may, which should help metro board members in their deliberations in June, Glass said. fairfax County Board Chair- man Jeff C. mcKay (D-At Large) said he cannot predict how much metro’s s ubsidy would be affected because of his county’s financial woes. “We hope to continue to support metro as much as possible because it is a necessary service for the region,” he said in a state- ment. “It’s difficult to say what that commitment looks like at this moment until the County Executive provides an updated budget next week. fairfax County like many others are seeing bud-

tially includes no growth. “The pandemic has thrown uncertainty into every budget in the region,” council member Evan Glass (At-Large) said. “We have to be mindful of how this crisis is affecting everyone’s bottom line. “While we’re looking at a con- tinuation of services at the cur- rent fiscal year, there is some concern that the economic situa- tion may be far worse, and we may not be able to maintain the same level of service,” he said. The council plans to approve

Transit Administration an-
nounced Thursday that the Wash-
ington region will receive $1 bil-
lion, but it wasn’t c lear how much
will go to metro and other transit
systems in the area, such as mont-
gomery County’s ride on or the
fairfax Connector.
Wiedefeld said metro is wait-
ing on the fTA to lay out what
costs the federal bailout money
can be used to reimburse.
But it’s unknown how long
travel will need to be restricted to
fight the spread of the virus, and
many transit experts have already
said the $25 billion will not be
enough federal aid.
It’s also unclear what impact
widespread joblessness will pose
for metro. Labor Department
numbers released Thursday
showed that more than 250,000
jobless claims had been filed in
the District, maryland and Vir-
ginia as of march 28.
The shortfall local and state
governments are facing contin-
ues to mount, and they have start-
ed making revenue projections
that could impact metro. of the
transit agency’s $2 billion operat-
ing budget for the coming fiscal
year, nearly $1.25 billion comes
from contributions from the Dis-
trict, maryland and Virginia.
“We are hearing now because
of significant revenue shortfalls
that they’re going to have difficul-
ty paying the subsidies that are
expected of them,” said metro
board member matthew f. Le-
tourneau, who also is a Loudoun
County supervisor (r-Dulles).
“We will be dealing with a very
different ridership scenario and
very different revenue projec-
tions.”
Board member michael Gold-
man said members should expect
to revisit their decision in June.
“We must be prepared to take a
hard look at our budget initia-
tives in light of covid-19,” said
Goldman, who represents mary-
land.
Across the region, elected offi-
cials aren’t just calculating what
subsidies they can afford, but all
services.
The montgomery County
Council adopted a resolution last
week asking the county executive
to draw up a budget that essen-

board from b1

Fiscal woes from virus may require Metro budget revision

Matt Mcclain/the Washington Post Metro Center in the district is seen almost devoid of passengers Thursday amid a sharp decrease in ridership due to the coronavirus. Metro board members said the extra expenses and lost fare revenue caused by the outbreak mean they will have to revisit a newly approved spending plan as early as June for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

20-0285

Arts & Style Struggling artists: The actors, musicians, designers and other freelancers who make up Washington’s vibrant arts community, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are among the hardest hit financially in our newly shuttered world.

Business Virtual proctors: Colleges are signing deals with online proctor companies to watch students through their webcams while they take exams. But education advocates say the surveillance software forces students to choose between privacy and their grades.

Travel Aural journeys: Travel is often called sightseeing, but it’s also about hearing the unique sounds of different destinations. Many of those unique sounds can be experienced online with just a few clicks.

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The Washigtnon Post - 03.04.2020

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