ST PAUL, Minn. — While the COVID pandemic officially ended more than a year ago in the U.S., increased federal funding has continued to funnel to school districts across the country to deal with impacts on students.
Until today.
Educators across America, including teachers in St. Paul, will hold a 'walk-in' demonstration Monday to protest the end of federal pandemic funding that allowed districts to prop up arts programming, efforts to increase literacy and after-school programming.
For the St. Paul public schools, the end of pandemic funding means $207 million less for the overall budget, which required significant cuts for the 2024-25 school year.
Teachers participating in the walk-in are calling for federal lawmakers to maintain funding levels set during the COVID era.
Similar walk-in demonstrations will be held in cities like Boston, Chicago and Nashville as part of the Alliance to Reclaim our Schools.