Education

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici has released a detailed list of how much each public and private institution will get starting May 11. The plan specifies that half the amount is reserved for emergency grants to students. "I advocated for significant federal relief to help students meet basic needs and stay on track with their education, and to help these institutions keep their doors open," she said in a statement. "This funding will allow schools to serve students who have been most affected by the pandemic, and help our communities build back better. "

"I appreciate that Clara's piece thoughtfully examines anti-immigrant bias and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, and is beautifully executed," said Bonamici in a statement. "She is incredibly talented, and I'm glad she has shared her excellent work by participating in the Congressional Art Competition."

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton, who sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, is a leading voice for child care, having set up her own advisory panel on the issue. She said the current system was broken even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced many day care centers and homes to curtail the number of children they see — or even close down entirely.

"These are challenging systems to navigate. We've been doing this for more than three years. We know we need benefit navigators to help students to do that," Mark Mitsui, president of Portland Community College, said during a conference call with Bonamici. "Federal agencies are great, but they do not have the capacity to weave each other's benefits around students when they most need it to get the education and training they need."

Yamhill County will receive more than $300,000 from the federal government this year as part of a program designed to replace some funding lost by the curtailment of logging on public lands in Oregon, Idaho and Washington decades ago. The Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program funnels money for schools, roads, law enforcement and other essential services. It is paid to 31 of Oregon's 36 counties, which lost billions of dollars when the federal government significantly reduced logging in the state in the 1990s.