,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ieb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #bc1         
#bjbc,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
establish an alternative use of certain 
,federal education funds when in-person 
instruction is not available4  #a4      
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,kids in ,classes ,act4  #b4        
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,research indicates that children 
living in the poorest #bj percent of    
neighborhoods in the ,united ,states    
will experience the most negative and   
long-lasting effects of school closures4
  7#b7 ,researchers predict that #a year
 of school closures will cost ninth     
graders in the poorest communities a #be
 percent decrease in their              
post-educational earning potential1 even
 if that year of closure is followed by 

#c years of normal schooling4 ,by       
contrast1 the same researchers predict  
no substantial losses for students from 
the richest #bj percent of              
neighborhoods4  7#c7 ,long periods of   
school closures during the ,,covid-#ai  
pandemic deprive low-income students and
 students of color the equalizing force 
of education4  7#d7 ,school closures    
will widen educational inequality and   
the learning gaps created by these      
closures will persist as students       
progress through high school1 putting   
their future prospects at risk4  7#e7   
,data shows that closed classrooms were 
disproportionately composed of          
disadvantaged students1 as well as      
students with low mathematics scores1   
students with limited ,english          
proficiency1 or students who qualify for
 a free or reduced priced lunch4  7#f7  
,school shutdowns contribute to         
disproportionate learning loss for      
disadvantaged students1 compounding     
existing gaps4  #c4 ,use of title ,i    

funds if in-person instruction is not   
available  7a7 ,title ,i funds ,to      
follow eligible children                
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 a ,state educational agency shall  
not receive grant funds provided under  
title ,i of the ,elementary and         
,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj
 ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa et seq471 unless the   
,state has provided for the allocation  
of those funds directly to the parent or
 guardian of an eligible child for      
qualified educational expenses          
7including curriculum and curricular    
materials1 books or instructional       
materials1 technological educational    
materials1 online educational materials1
 tutoring or educational classes outside
 the home1 private school tuition1      
testing fees1 diagnostic tools1 and     
educational therapies for students with 
disabilities7 for the purposes of       
ensuring that funding under such title  
follows eligible children4  7b7         
,eligible child ,in this section the    

term eligible child means a child who   
attends a public elementary school or   
secondary school that-- 7#a7 receives   
funds provided under title ,i of the    
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa et   
seq472 and  7#b7 fails1 for reasons     
related to a collective bargaining      
action or public health emergency1 to   
make available in-person instruction for
 all students who wish to attend4