First lady Jill Biden visited students at a Burlington County elementary school on Monday. It was part of President Joe Biden’s push to get schools reopened as part of a massive stimulus plan to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first lady came to Samuel Smith Elementary School in Burlington City, where students have returned for part-time in-person learning. The first lady said that the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion stimulus will help get students back into the classroom.

“With the American Rescue Plan, help is here,” Dr. Biden said.

Born in Hammonton, Jill Biden is a teacher who has taught in high schools and community colleges.

“There’s no place I feel more at home than the classroom,” she said. “I love being back with my fellow educators and I love the displays in the hallways and all the colors and the handprints and the welcoming notices that you put on the walls.”

The American Rescue Plan devotes $128.5 billion for COVID mitigation strategies at K-12 schools nationwide, some of which the first lady saw at Samuel Smith Elementary.

“You could bring back kids with COVID, you’re going to be able to alter the physical structure of the school and you’re also going to be able to help the school district in terms of physical distancing,” said Sen. Bob Menendez.

The first lady's visit is part of a weeklong, multistate push by the Biden administration. Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire and Georgia. President Biden will visit Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Georgia on Friday to highlight the benefits of the stimulus – including the $1,400 payments.

“It’s a chance to breathe again and when we help families stop holding their breath about paying their bills, local shops and restaurants benefit too,” Dr. Biden said.

Schools in New Jersey will get $2.7 billion in money from the American Rescue Plan, $73 million of which will go to private schools.