School board president claims California's allocation of COVID funds to address learning loss is an admission of failure.

The recent legislation tightening the requirements for the $2 billion remaining in education funds serves as a reminder of how the state neglected students during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to one California school district president.

Sonia Shaw, the President of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board, admitted to the failures that occurred during the recent settlement in which California agreed to spend $2 billion to help children impacted by lost learning and mental health issues caused by school closures.

After the case Cayla J. v. California was settled in February, California is mandated to spend $2 billion to aid students in recovering from learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 29, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 153, which tightened the rules and guidelines for school districts on how they allocate funds to students affected by learning loss due to the pandemic.

The Golden State will allocate the remaining COVID-19 relief funds towards tutoring and other initiatives aimed at aiding students in overcoming the academic setbacks caused by the pandemic, as per Public Counsel, a non-profit law firm that worked on the case.

In February, an attorney from Morrison Foerster, a law firm involved in the lawsuit, informed Planet Chronicle Digital that they demonstrated that school closures during the coronavirus pandemic negatively impacted low-income students and students of color, resulting in learning loss.

Shaw, a parent of two students in Chino Valley Unified School District, expressed her "gratitude" towards those who persisted in advocating for students.

"Regrettably, the harm has been done, and it should have been a priority for the Department of Education and the Governor to address this issue. I appreciate those who persisted in ensuring that resources were allocated to assist students," she stated. "The injury was caused by ineffective leadership and ill-informed policies. Our students have suffered greatly as a result of these choices, and it is unacceptable that it took a lawsuit to bring attention to the damage."

The defendants contended that the state of California did not adequately allocate funds to assist students who required the most assistance within local districts.

To aid students facing adverse education outcomes, often from low-income households and minorities, the settlement mandates the use of existing funds from the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant for hiring tutors and implementing other measures to mitigate learning loss.

The state of California has been deemed by Public Counsel to be one of the largest education-related settlements in U.S. history. Additionally, the state has agreed to propose a new law that allows funds to be allocated to community organizations that have a demonstrated history of enhancing student achievement.

Local education agencies must adhere to the law and create a Local Control and Accountability Plan, which mandates them to report on the effectiveness of any program designed to assist students who encounter learning loss.

The California Dept. of Education spokesperson stated that the proposal includes changes that the administration believes are "suitable at this juncture following the pandemic to concentrate on the students who were most affected and still require assistance."

Newsom did not sign off on $2 billion in new spending, but rather signed Senate Bill 153 on June 29, which tightens the rules and requirements for school districts on how they spend funds on students suffering from learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.