A bill in the Minnesota Senate would put up $30 million over two years to expand full-service schools, which meet education, health care, and other student and family needs under one roof. This community model, tried in Faribault, Duluth and Rochester districts, has caught the attention of new Gov. Tim Walz. A separate bill in the House would also put money toward such schools.

More Mississippi students than ever before are gaining access to high-quality early learning this year thanks to increased funding for the state's pre-K program. One big reason is the strong data on education outcomes that have been collected and shared in the state.

A new report from Michigan State University analyzed long-term education spending trends. The report found that in every state but two—Michigan and West Virginia—education revenue increased from 1995 to 2015. But it is often assumed that this additional spending will be good for students, but the data suggest that increased funding by itself has little relationship to student achievement growth.

A new debt affordability study for North Carolina could throw cold water on plans by the House and Gov. Roy Cooper to pass a nearly $2 billion bond for public school construction. The Senate said the study at least indirectly justified its alternative proposal to fund K12 building with a pay-as-you-go plan.