Florida Dept. of Education: FEMA is walking back on PPE money promise

School PPE does not qualify for reimbursement

ON YOUR OWN!

THAT’S THE LATESTMESSAGE FLORIDA’S DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION SAYS IT’S GETTING FROMFEMA.

FOR MONTHS, SCHOOLS HEREAND AROUND THE REST OF THE STATEAND COUNTRY WERE TOLD THEFEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTAGENCY WOULD HELP SCHOOLS PAYFOR CRITICAL P-P-E SUPPLIESNEEDED AS STUDENTS AND TEACHERRETURN TO CAMPUS.

TONIGHT STATEEDUCATION LEADERS EXCLUSIVELTELL FOUR IN YOUR CORNER’S KATIELAGRONE FEMA IS NOW WALKING BACKTHAT PROMISE(42-50)(139-148)DAYS AFTER WE WERE FIRST TOREVEAL FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTSBANKING ON FEMA TO HELP PAY FORPERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR COULDBE LEFT HIGH AND DRYA SPOKESPERSON FROM FLORIDA’SDEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TELLS USTHAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENSCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERS━ JUSTFINDING OUT THEMSELVES1:32- it is perplexingLEE COUNTY SCHOOLS CFO HADN’THEARD UNTIL WE TOLD HER.

THEDISTRICT HAS ALREADY SPENT ATLEAST 3 AND A HALF MILLIONDOLLARS ON MASKS, SANITIZERSWIPES AND OTHER PP━3:02- we’re talking about basinecessitiesAND ANTICIPATES SPENDING UP TOTEN MILLION DOLLARS MORE.WHILE THE DISTRICT MAY HAVE TODIP INTO FEDERAL CARES ACT MONEYRECEIVED TO HELP OFFSET SOME OFTHE COSTSIT WAS COUNTING ONFEMA HEL━9:36- these expenses are theresult of an emergency and texpenses are well beyondexpenses that we considerednormal for any school districtSINCE THE SUMMER, THE STATE TOLDFLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FEMAWOULD OFFER REIMBURSEMENTS FORPPE COSTTO DATE, 184 SCHOOL DISTRICTSACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVESUBMITTED REQUESTS TO FEMA FORPPE MONEYONLY 3 HAVE BEENAPPROVWHILE THE FEDERAL AGENCY TELLSUS THEY HAVEN’T DENIED ANYREQUESTSEARLIER THIS WEEK, AFEMA SPOKESPERSON TOLD US PPE-WHILE CRITICAL TO REOPENINGSCHOOLS SAFELYDOES NOT QUALIFYFOR REIMBURSEMENTS."normal operation of schools andother public facilities are notconsidered emergency protectivemeasures" IN OTHER WORDSFEMAMONEY FOR SCHOOL PPEIS NOT ANOPTION24:55- this just hit our radarDURING A WEBINAR WITHSUPERINTENDENTS EARLIER THISWEEK, FLORIDA EDUCATION LEADERSALSO SHARED CONFUSION OVER THEUNEXPECTED AND APPARENT SNUB.24:44- FEMA may be in a placewhere there’s been somindecision on this and we areright here with you trying towork through this.FLORIDA’S DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION NOW ALLOCATING 30MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS TOHELP SCHOOLS PAY FOR THEWAREHOUSE-FILLED BOXES OF PPETHEY’VE HAD TO ORDER BUT ARESTILL SCRAMBLING TO FIND THEMONEY TO PAY FOR.2:44- it is quite an expensiendeavor and as i said all ofthese things are well outside ofthe normal operating proceduresand normal operating expensesthat our district wouldtypically incurBOTH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO ANDRICK SCOTT HAD NOTHING TO SAYABOUT FEMA’S APPARENT SNUB ONSCHOOLSTELLING US THEY AREWORKING WITH SCHOOLSAND LO