Leaders of seven large California school districts, including Bob Nelson of Fresno Unified, argue in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom that his $2 billion plan to reopen classrooms falls woefully short of ensuring equitable access to education for students of color and those in low-income communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsom announced his plan to reopen school doors on Dec. 30, saying that allocating billions in funding for improved ventilation, personal protective equipment and frequent COVID-19 testing for staff and students will allow for in-person instruction to safely resume.

To access the funding, which pencils out to at least $450 per student, districts would have to offer in-person instruction for transitional kindergarten to second-grade students and lay out plans for rigorous and consistent testing and sanitation protocol.

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