Friday News Roundup: Week of August 10-14

At Ed Money Watch, we discuss and analyze major issues affecting education funding. In our Friday News Roundup, we try to highlight interesting stories that might otherwise get overlooked. These stories emphasize how federal and state policy changes can affect local schools and districts.

Pennsylvania Budget Impasses Leaves Grant Recipients in Limbo

Schools Dealing with Oklahoma’s 5 Percent Budget Cut

GAO Releases Teacher Quality Report

Pennsylvania Budget Impasse Leaves Grant Recipients in Limbo
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania have yet to pass a state budget, leaving about 172,000 college students in the state uncertain when their tuition grants will come through. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) does not know yet if it will receive the grant funds it has awarded students. Each student can receive up to $4,120 this school year based on financial need, whether they live on campus, and the cost of the institution in which they are enrolled. But until the state passes its budget, which isn’t likely to happen any time soon, PHEAA won’t know exactly how much money it has to distribute. Some schools in the state have decided not to charge students late fees on the delayed grant payments or require them to front the amount of the loans. More here…

Schools Dealing with Oklahoma’s 5 Percent Budget Cut
Oklahoma financial officials recently ordered an across-the-board 5 percent cut to August budget allocations for state agencies. Education officials in the state warned that the cuts could have serious short- and long-term effects. School districts are looking for the least disruptive ways to cut spending, including travel for field trips and athletics. Officials at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma say they anticipated the budget shortfall and made contingency plans, so the 5 percent reduction will not affect students or faculty. However, if similar cuts go on for too long, the universities will be forced to make larger changes. The budget shortfall comes after state revenue dropped in all major categories. If revenues don’t pick up, especially for natural gas prices, the state may have to continue to make cuts. More here…

GAO Releases Teacher Quality Report
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report, “Teacher Quality: Sustained Coordination Among Key Federal Education Programs Could Enhance State Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality,” on the nation’s teacher quality programs. The report examines the various teacher quality programs the federal government funds and coordinates, how the Department of Education monitors and coordinates assistance through these programs. The report found little sustained coordination across the different programs. GAO recommends that the Secretary of Education establish and implement a strategy for sustained coordination among existing offices and programs, allowing states, school districts, and institutions of higher education to share information and resources to improve teacher quality. Read the full report here.

Briefly Noted

• States are forced to decrease financial aid for low-income students as demand rises.
• New York City Mayor Bloomberg promises increased aid to community colleges if reelected.