RECOVER Act would give unspent ARPA education funds to parents for bolstering educational progress.
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) is a cosponsor of the Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery (RECOVER) Act (S.4753), which would redirect unspent federal funds to empower parents to help their children regain learning losses from pandemic school closures.
The RECOVER Act would allow states and school districts to use unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) education funding on providing Child Opportunity Scholarships to parents directly.
Senator Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Committee, said the RECOVER Act is a responsible way to use what would be otherwise wasted ARPA dollars to empower families.
“We are seeing the price paid by students because of the long pandemic shutdown of our schools. We can begin to help recover learning losses by giving parents resources directly to use on what will help their children academically,” Hyde-Smith continued.
U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced S.4753. In addition to the Mississippi Senator, the RECOVER Act has been cosigned by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), James Risch (R-ID), James Lankford (R-OK), and Steve Daines (R-MT).
“States and school districts have only spent a fraction of the education funds they received through the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan — leaving kids helpless as they struggle to recover from academic setbacks,” Senator Scott said. “It’s clear that big-government bailouts won’t solve our education crisis. That’s why the RECOVER Act allows those funds to flow to a much better steward: parents. I urge all of my colleagues to join me on this bill that would empower parents to help their kids thrive once again.”
A companion measure (HR.8671) has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Burgess Owens (UT-04).
Owens said that he is proud to introduce the RECOVER Act with Senator Scott to bring parents off the sidelines of their kid’s education by allowing states to reallocate billions in unspent dollars so that low-income students can receive the targeted support they need to reach their God-given potential.
“As pandemic learning loss continues to crush the academic progress of millions of students across the country, only 7% of the so-called solution – $122 billion in American Rescue Plan funding – has been spent,” Rep. Owens said.“Not only is our nation falling behind as a leader in education, but our one-size-fits-all system is leaving our most vulnerable kids behind and pushing parents out of the driver’s seat.”
Click here to read the full text of the RECOVER Act.
Anne Summerhays
