January 8, 2010
Special education costs have soared in local school districts during the past five years, driven by higher program costs, continued demand for those programs by parents, and cutbacks in state and federal aid. The costs have grown at double the rate of regular school budgets in about half of the area’s school districts, even as […]
January 8, 2010
In the midst of a legislative campaign for education reform and an uncertain budget season, state public school districts, school committees and teachers’ unions are also grappling with whether to agree to the terms of the Commonwealth’s ambitious and considerably controversial bid for federal education funding. Last year, as part of the federal economic stimulus […]
January 8, 2010
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued the following news release: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will hold four public hearings this month regarding proposed changes in state regulations for special education services in Missouri. The purpose of the hearings is to receive comments and suggestions from persons interested in services […]
January 8, 2010
Superintendent Chris Belcher has proposed slashing almost $6 million from Columbia Public Schools’ operating budget to combat an expected decrease in state funding. Belcher yesterday afternoon disclosed the $5.8 million in proposed cuts to a Columbia Board of Education finance committee. The budget ax would mostly affect the 2010-11 school year. The cuts total […]
January 7, 2010
A battle between Los Angeles Unified and charter groups could be decided today when the State Board of Education is expected to rule whether charters statewide can take complete control of educating their special needs students. Publicly funded and independently run charters have argued that they should control special education funding, as they do for […]
January 7, 2010
Ledyard’s constrained public schools budget got a bit of breathing room recently, with additional relief possibly coming today. Unionized administrators have voted unanimously to accept a wage freeze, Superintendent of Schools Michael Graner said Wednesday. Unionized teachers are to vote on a possible freeze today. The vote of the administrators, including Graner, saves $74,456, he […]
January 7, 2010
Falling interest rates and decreasing state aid will likely reduce the Lake Shore Central School District’s revenue in the upcoming budget year. Daniel Pacos, business administrator, presented preliminary 2010-11 budget numbers to the Board of Education during a work s ession Tuesday (Jan. 5) night. Pacos projected a drop from $350,000 to $150,000 in the […]
January 7, 2010
Terri Patton referred to it as the most challenging budget of her 25-year career. That was six months ago. During Wednesday’s school board meeting, the South Kitsap School District’s assistant superintendent for business and support said the budget for the 2010-11 school year might be even more difficult than this year’s. Patton and her staff […]
January 7, 2010
Administrators and central office employees in the Ledyard school district have agreed to forgo raises next year and teachers in town are set to vote on the same measure today, part of an ongoing effort to cut costs in the school budget. The news came from Superintendent of Schools Michael Graner, who briefed the town’s […]
January 7, 2010
State auditors claim officials in the Wayland-Cohocton school district have overestimated expenses for several years and failed to seek competitive bids for products and services. The state Comptroller’s Office released the audit of the 1,655-student district this week. In a response letter to the state, district officials said the examination covering July 1, 2007, to […]