# Keep Schools Open Act: What It Actually Does

This bill would tie federal education funding to a requirement that schools provide in-person instruction. Essentially, any school or educational institution that receives federal money would have to prove they're offering face-to-face classes and promise they won't switch to remote learning because of COVID-19. If a school can't meet these conditions, it would lose access to federal education dollars—money that typically funds special education, school meals, teacher salaries, and other essential programs.

The bill applies broadly to elementary schools, high schools, school districts, state education agencies, and colleges and universities. The only exception is for schools that already operate as online or distance learning institutions for reasons completely unrelated to the pandemic. So a school that was designed as an online academy before COVID-19 would be fine, but a traditional school that went remote during the pandemic and wanted to stay that way would face funding cuts.

The practical impact would be significant. Schools that couldn't or didn't want to maintain full in-person instruction would face a major financial squeeze. This could affect their ability to pay teachers, provide special education services, run lunch programs, or maintain buildings. The bill essentially uses federal funding as leverage to force schools into a particular operational model, removing local decision-making about what's best for their specific communities and circumstances. Schools would have to choose between complying with the in-person requirement or losing federal money that many rely on heavily.

Keep Schools Open Act

Green, Mark E.

Keep Schools Open Act This bill generally prohibits federal education funding for elementary or secondary schools, local or state educational agencies, or institutions of higher education (IHEs) that do not provide in-person instruction. Specifically, the bill prohibits a school, educational agency, or IHE from receiving federal education funds unless the school, educational agency, or IHE (1) demonstrates to the Department of Education (ED) that it provides in-person instruction to students, and (2) certifies to ED that it will not discontinue in-person instruction for students due to COVID-19. This prohibition does not apply to a school, educational agency, or IHE that provides distance education or other virtual instruction to students in the regular course of its operations for reasons that are unrelated to COVID-19.