All articles tagged with #school finance
The U.S. Department of Education announced it will freeze $396 million in federal funds allocated to Florida schools, part of a broader move affecting school funding nationwide, causing concern among school officials and impacting support for needy students.
Lawmakers in Colorado are facing concerns over the state's budget as they convene for a special session on property taxes. The state's Joint Budget Committee was presented with an independent assessment of Governor Jared Polis' proposed spending plan, revealing a potential $44 million budget shortfall this year and an additional $330 million shortfall next year. Lawmakers are considering using $200 million from the general fund to offset property tax cuts, but this could further strain the budget. Democrats oppose tapping into state reserves, while Republicans support it. The budget concerns come as federal pandemic relief funds dry up and lawmakers try to fulfill their promise of fully funding Colorado's school finance obligations.
Texas House Democrats have introduced a school finance plan called the Fully Fund Our Future Act, which includes a $15,000 pay raise for teachers, a $5,500 bonus for support staff, and an increase in per-student funding by $2,787. The legislation also aims to allocate $2.3 billion for special education programs and $3 billion for school security. However, the chances of passing these priorities are slim due to Republican control of state government and opposition to tying public school funding increases to the creation of education savings accounts.