A new Senate COVID relief bill would spend $1.6 billion to outfit N.C. public schools for reopening, a massive investment that foreshadows the looming battle over how the next school year will unfold. The new school funding is part of a larger bill that makes significant adjustments to the state’s COVID relief finances. The additional $1.6 billion for public schools comes from a budget bill passed by the U.S. Congress in the closing days of 2020. In North Carolina, this money will primarily be sent to local school districts and can be used for sanitation and protective equipment, upgrades to school buildings for better ventilation, and programs for addressing learning loss.