,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djdg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #aa1 #bjbf,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 ,section #aaab of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcab7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#f71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#g71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#h7 comply with the in-person instruction requirements described in subsection 7f74 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7f7 ,in-,person instruction requirements 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,covered funding amount ,the term covered funding amount means the quotient of-- 7i7 an amount equal to-- 7,i7 the funds provided under this part to a particular elementary school or secondary school2 divided by 7,,ii7 the number of students who attend that school2 divided by 7ii7 the number of school days for which such funds have been provided4 7,b7 ,covered school ,the term covered school means a public elementary school or secondary school that receives funds provided under this part4 7,c7 ,qualified educational expenses ,the term qualified educational expenses means 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 disabilities4 7#b7 ,distribution of covered funding ,not later than the beginning of the first school year that begins after the date of enactment of the ,kids in ,classes ,act1 and notwithstanding any other provision of law1 in order to be eligible to receive funds under this part1 each local educational agency shall-- 7,a7 establish a failure to open direct payment plan in accordance with paragraph 7#c72 and 7,b7 agree to carry out such plan in the event that a covered school served by the local educational agency fails for more than #c days during a school year1 for reasons related to public health emergency or collective bargaining action1 to make available in-person instruction for all students who wish to attend4 7#c7 ,failure to open direct payment plan 7,a7 ,in general ,each local educational agency shall establish a failure to open direct payment plan that establishes and explains how a parent of each child who attends a covered school served by the local educational agency will be directly paid1 for use on qualified educational expenses1 the amount described in subparagraph 7,b71 if that covered school fails for more than #c days during a school year1 for reasons related to public health emergency or collective bargaining action1 to make available in-person instruction for all students who wish to attend4 7,b7 ,amount of payment ,the amount of payment shall be an amount equal to-- 7i7 the covered funding amount2 multiplied by 7ii7 the number of days in which such school fails1 for reasons related to public health emergency or collective bargaining action1 to make available in-person instruction for all students who wish to attend4 7,c7 ,timing of payment ,to the greatest extent practicable1 direct payments made to parents under this subsection shall be made to parents on each day that a covered school fails to open as described in subparagraph 7,a74 7,d7 ,receipts ,as part of the failure to open direct payment plan1 each local educational agency shall require that parents receiving direct payments under this subsection-- 7i7 submit receipts to the local educational agency to demonstrate that such direct payments have been spent on qualified educational expenses2 or 7ii7 return any amounts of such direct payments that are not used for qualified educational expenses to the local educational agency not later than #cj days after the covered school has resumed in-person instruction4 4