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[00:01.80]Schools across the country are considering how and when
[00:07.48]to reopen their buildings as they plan measures to control the coronavirus.
[00:16.08]Many school officials are worried about the costs of operating
[00:21.60]under social distancing guidelines.
[00:25.52]Such costs include protective equipment, additional teachers for smaller classes
[00:33.64]and more transportation to keep students spread out on bus rides.
[00:42.68]These costs are frightening for urban school systems,
[00:47.80]which are under financial pressure.
[00:50.80]They say they do not have enough money or space to make classes smaller.
[01:00.24]In Hartford, Connecticut, Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez
[01:06.64]is very worried about how to pay for additional teachers.
[01:11.40]She said that now each classroom must have fewer students
[01:17.20]and social distancing is required.
[01:21.28]In some grades, she said, she has individual teachers
[01:26.00]with as many as 27 students in their classrooms.
[01:31.28]"My budget would be nonexistent," she said.
[01:36.88]Many schools are developing plans for at least some distance learning,
[01:43.68]but many are worried about the cost.
[01:49.16]Camden is one of New Jersey's poorest cities.
[01:53.48]Superintendent Katrina McCombs said costs for classroom cleaning
[02:00.16]and protective equipment are a concern for her.
[02:04.68]That is because the city depends on the state government for money.
[02:10.80]For the next two years, New Jersey predicts it will face a budget deficit of$10 billion.
[02:21.16]New Jersey has not yet produced rules for the reopening of schools.
[02:27.12]McCombs said she hopes the governor gives urban areas like Camden a lot of choices.
[02:35.20]She added that many of her students live with families
[02:39.84]that have more than one generation in the same house.
[02:44.76]These are at high-risk for infection.
[02:50.92]"...I would hope that as the governor is rolling out those recommendations,
[02:57.08]they can take those...factors into consideration," she said.
[03:04.12]The School Superintendents Association (AASA)
[03:10.40]and the Association of School Business Officials International
[03:16.12]say making social distancing possible in schools will be costly.
[03:22.00]The Virginia-based groups estimate
[03:25.36]that it will cost the average school system about $1.8 million.
[03:31.80]However, most schools are expecting budget cuts because of the weak economy.
[03:41.32]"You have a significant increase in costs for school districts at a time
[03:48.28]when school districts are going to have less money," said Dan Domenech.
[03:54.04]He is executive director of AASA.
[03:59.96]Alexa Garvey is a school board chairwoman in the town of Stonington, Connecticut.
[04:06.56]She said it would cut costs if the state ended a rule for the summer
[04:12.68]that there should be only one student on each seat of a bus.
[04:17.52]The seats normally fit two children. She also had some other questions.
[04:23.48]"Does every child need a mask?" she asked.
[04:27.52]"What are our obligations to supplying those masks?"
[04:34.36]Some schools have fewer problems.
[04:37.40]In the wealthy town of Greenwich, Connecticut,
[04:41.00]the school system has 12.2 students for every teacher.
[04:46.40]To keep up social distancing when buildings reopen,
[04:51.16]Superintendent Toni Jones has said they will have enough open spaces
[04:57.32]in their buildings to spread out the classes.
[05:02.24]I'm Susan Shand.
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Words in This Storysuperintendent–n. the leader or head of a school system
rolling out –v. to introduce a new system
recommendation–n. to make suggestions about something
factor–n. one of the items to be considered in a decision
district–n. an area within a town that determines which school a student attends
mask–n. clothe worn over the face to avoid disease
obligation–n the state of being in debt to something, financially or morally