The president of the Wausau School Board and congressional candidate has some sharp criticism of a bill proposed by Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany and another member of the House.
The bill would mandate all schools open for in-person education by September 8 or lose federal funding.
Tiffany's Democratic opponent this fall is Tricia Zunker. She says the bill pits health and safety against education...
"Threatening to defund our schools is unacceptable. No matter where you stand on pandemic measures, our children and teachers should not be held hostage. Congressman Tiffany should be focused on assuring that our students and teachers have the tools they need during this pandemic by working to expand rural broadband access throughout northern Wisconsin..."
Republicans are in the minority in the House, so observers think the chances of the bill ever becoming law are remote. Zunker thinks it was a bit of political grandstanding. From her view, education of children shouldn't be a political game...
"In my capacity as school board president we are having meetings to figure out what to do for fall. We want to open in the fall, but we're looking for direction from the state. We can't make that choice ourselves. It's absurd to think that federal funding should be pulled from all schools that don't reopen physically because it doesn't look the same throughout the country..."
She says many districts are operating virtually, including the Wausau district. She says the teachers are working even harder to maintain the education. She says the idea that funding should be pulled from virtual schooling is, in her words, 'absurd'.
Zunker says she wishes something had been proposed to make the situation better during the pandemic
