July 6, 2010
More than 120 charter schools in North Texas are part of a national explosion, fueled by a recent surge in political, philanthropic and parental support. Fifteen years into the Texas charter school experiment, some charters have brought impressive innovation to public education, saved dropouts and posted enviable test scores. But on other campuses, kids have […]
July 6, 2010
Here are a few stark facts about the 1-cent increase in the state sales tax that Kansans began paying Thursday: –About 58 percent of the revenue generated by the sales tax is going to K-12 education. –That 58 percent just replaces $172 million in federal stimulus money that was used last year to somewhat prop […]
July 6, 2010
Ten of the 23 school districts in Riverside County and another 10 of San Bernardino County’s 33 districts expect to have trouble paying their bills in the next two years, according to the state’s watch list. Last week, the state released its updated list of districts whose three-year budget projections earned them a "qu alified" […]
July 6, 2010
With her long list of special-education credentials, Deborah Domes has traveled all over the city teaching some of Chicago’s most heart-wrenching cases –from terminally ill teenagers to "Girl X" of Cabrini-Green, after the youngster emerged from a coma. With her prized national certification in teaching, Erin O’Brien enjoyed helping new teachers in seven schools, offering […]
July 6, 2010
In as dismal a budget year as anyone can remember, with rising costs and steep cuts in state aid, school districts across New Jersey have looked for savings wherever they can find them. School boards have laid off teachers, scrapped sports, pruned full-day kindergarten to a half day and eliminated free busing for some students. […]
July 6, 2010
The state budget deal hammered out in Harrisburg last week increases basic education funding for Northampton County’s eight school districts by $6.6 million. It is $2.1 million less than what Gov. Ed Rendell proposed in February. While the budget increases basic education funding statewide by $250 million — a 4.5 percent increase — it still […]
July 6, 2010
When Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week that Illinois schools aren’t getting cut as deeply as feared in his new budget, the message was clear. "We don’t want school districts lopping off teachers," said Quinn, who also pledged that the schools will get the more than $1 billion owed to them in state back payments […]
July 2, 2010
The Michigan Legislature approved a new $12.8-billion school funding plan on Thursday that boosts state aid by $11 per pupil immediately and through the 2010-11 school year. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will sign the budget bill, which passed on the first day of school districts ‘ fiscal year. Districts generally have already put in place their […]
July 2, 2010
Gov. Pat Quinn slashed $241 million in public school funding Thursday, reducing financial support for student busing, reading programs and textbook loans. Spending for transportation fell by $84 million, or 24 percent. The $68.5 million for reading improvement grants was canceled completely. And the state education agency saw its administrative budget trimmed by 8 percent. […]
July 2, 2010
When Gov. Ed Rendell first proposed his budget in the spring, some school district officials placed their hopes on his plan to increase basic education funding by $354 million for 2010-11. But reality is settling in as the Legislature this week approved a budget that provides an increase of $250 million in basic education subsidy […]