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- Kansas districts mull suing for more state funding
A coalition of 57 Kansas school districts is considering suing the state over long-term reductions in state funding for K-12 education. Legislators warn that a lawsuit would only cost the cash-strapped state more money, but a similar state lawsuit has resulted in $600 million in additional funding for K-12 since 2005. Districts are still hoping to receive $100 million in state funding for increased enrollment and more low-income students. The Wichita Eagle (Kan.)
(11/15)
    
- Ariz. lawmakers walk in superintendents' shoes to prioritize funding
Arizona state lawmakers are shadowing school superintendents as part of a program to help them make informed school-funding choices. Created by the Arizona Business & Education Coalition, the program takes legislators into classrooms to look at the way teachers are evaluated, and into administrative offices to pore over budget numbers. "Now I have a good grip, a good understanding, of the tools the district needs for each school," one lawmaker said. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
(11/15)
| Facilities Watch | |
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- Officials should make vacant schools available for new charters
 Education officials in Washington, D.C., in concert with the D.C. Charter School Incubator Initiative, deserve praise for allowing a vacant elementary school to be turned into a temporary home for two new charter schools, writes the editorial board of The Washington Post. Too often, the city has sold old facilities to developers or let them stand unoccupied, and the writers urge the city to use more surplus schools to house charters. The Washington Post
(11/16)
- Delaware district outlines expansion plan that won't raise taxes
Residents in Delaware's Appoquinimink School District will be asked to approve a $64.6 million facilities expansion that will not include a tax increase. Enrollment has increased by 1,500 over the past three years, say administrators, necessitating the expansion as well as providing funding for it through development-impact fees. Plans call for a new elementary school and a new early-childhood center as well as classroom and school renovations. The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.)
(11/15)
| Education Technology Trends | |
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- Ill. district scans driver's licenses for visitor background checks
A new security system is providing on-the-spot background checks of all visitors to schools in an Illinois district. To gain entry into New Lenox schools, visitors must present a driver's license, which is scanned against criminal databases. While officials said the security system -- which is also being used in other districts -- ensures outsiders don't have access to students, privacy advocates warned that schools should delete personal information at the end of each day. Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, Ill.)/The Associated Press
(11/14)
- Louisiana is recognized for progress on school technology
Louisiana has been recognized for its progress on the use of technology in schools in a study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but state education chief Paul Pastorek says more schools need to offer the latest technology to ensure successful results statewide. "If you want kids to think critically, put them in an environment that forces them to think critically," Pastorek says. "This is the kind of technology that is exciting to kids." The Times (Shreveport, La.)
(11/15)
| Pupil Personnel Services | |
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- Ohio district considers excusing athletes from gym class
Dayton, Ohio, administrators are considering a plan to waive physical-education requirements for students who participate in at least two seasons of marching band, cheerleading or interscholastic sports. A parent pushing for the change said those students already understand the importance of physical activity. Another Ohio district rejected a similar proposal two years ago, saying the classes also offer health instruction. Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
(11/15)
| Employee and Personnel Management | |
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- Los Angeles district proposes furlough days, pay cuts to avoid layoffs
Officials with the Los Angeles school district are asking local union members to agree to four furlough days this year and a 12% pay cut down the road to help cover gaps in funding. In a letter to employees, Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines said that without these concessions, as many as 8,500 teachers and staff could be laid off. The district is facing a $60 million budget deficit this year and an estimated shortfall of $480 million next year. Los Angeles Times
(11/13)
- Budget crunch could mean staff cuts in Mississippi
Mississippi state agencies were recently told to cut their budgets by another 5%, and school administrators say they may have to look at personnel cuts if funding is reduced again during the current fiscal year. "You are not going to make meaningful reductions in expenditures without reducing personnel," said Tom Burnham, who takes over as the state's education chief in January. Many districts say they have already reduced expenditures in nonpersonnel areas like maintenance, supplies and equipment. The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.)
(11/15)
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