The Covid-19 pandemic presents immense challenges for schools in both the public and private sector. Schools face a fiscal crisis due to budget shortfalls as a result of the economic shutdown. Public schools must manage losses in tax revenue at the state and local level. Private and religious schools, which rely on tuition payments and charitable contributions from families, will also struggle, as the economic crisis has impacted the incomes of millions of Americans.
Schools, public and private alike, require assistance from the federal government to endure economic hardship. The collapse of private and religious schools displace students, exacerbating the burden on public schools, and destabilizing the learning environment for many. For the sake of students, national leaders cannot allow these schools to fail.
On June 24, the Manhattan Institute hosted a conversation with experts in education on the measures policymakers should take to ensure that both public and private schools emerge strong following the pandemic.
