In his first state budget, Gov. Tony Evers, the former chief of the state's education agency, is seeking to freeze the number of students who may enroll in private voucher schools across the state. The budget also proposes to suspend the creation of new independent charter schools until 2023.
As part of his plan to cut state spending, Gov. Ned Lamont is proposing a plan that would strongly encourage certain small school districts to regionalize or face a possible reduction in the state's education cost sharing grant. The budget would also establish a School Services and Redistricting Commission.
The Maryland district's $2.3 billion operating budget includes pay increases for teachers, cost of living allowances, benefits for employees and a 15-minute longer day.
Anne Arundel County school board members will propose a number of amendments to the superintendent's recommended $1.26 billion operating budget. The budget includes requests to hire 201 teachers, increase substitute teacher pay and expand services for non-native English-speaking students.
Gov. Tony Evers said he would seek to provide "more accountability and transparency" within the state's private school voucher programs but would not include a proposal to phase out taxpayer-funded school vouchers in his first state budget.
The educator protest movement started with cries for better pay, benefits and funding. But it has evolved into a protest against the argument that traditional public schools and the people who work in them are failing, and that they must be challenged by charter schools, private school vouchers and test-driven accountability.
Some Tennessee school districts would be required to provide free feminine hygiene products for students under a new bill filed in the state legislature. Many districts provide feminine care products in nurses' offices. But nurses have reported restocking supplies themselves due to budgetary constraints or relying on nonprofits for help.
Schools Superintendent Jared Cotton released his $477 million operating budget proposal that includes money for raises and starting full-day kindergarten at three schools. He also wants to offer art once a week in elementary schools and create an alternative high school program for at-risk students—something the Virginia city doesn't currently have.
As humankind marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing and launches unmanned Mars missions, school districts continue to blaze trails in teaching space exploration.
Gov. Ned Lamont's target is to save $2 billion over the next 10 years. He wants to cut bond authorizations by $600 million a year. That should put a squeeze on new school construction, which makes up a bulk of annual capital projects and in recent years pushed annual bonding authorization to about $2 billion.
