Friday News Roundup: Week of August 31 – September 4

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.

California Scales Back Class Size Reduction Program

More Cuts Could Coming in Mississippi

Pennsylvania Governor Urges Adequate Funding for Schools as State Grapples with Budget Standoff

California Scales Back Class Size Reduction Program
Many of this year’s California’s elementary school students will be placed in larger classes than last year. Because of the state’s budget cuts, schools are unable to hire enough teachers to keep K-3 classes at 20 students or fewer. Penalties for going over the 20 student limit were greatly reduced during February’s budget debates. Now, instead of losing all of the additional state funding, schools will lose only a percentage of that funding if their class size average is over 20. If the average is between 20.5 percent and 21.5 percent, schools only lose 5 percent of the additional funds, and so on. In 2007, schools received an extra $1,071 per child if they kept K-3 class sizes small, but as the state economy began to slow down, the guidelines were loosened. More here…

More Cuts Could Coming in Mississippi
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has warned that more budget cuts could be coming to the state. In July, the first month of this fiscal year, tax collections were down $26 million from the predictions used to write the state budget blueprint. If August revenues are off by as much, Governor Barbour warned, additional cuts will have to be made to all agencies, including education. If cuts are necessary, he plans to make decisions quickly so agencies can spread out reductions over time. Education accounts for about two-thirds of the state’s general fund expenditures, and saw fewer cuts than most other programs last year. More here…

Pennsylvania Governor Urges Adequate Funding for Schools as State Grapples with Budget Standoff
Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania cautioned state lawmakers that the state budget must include adequate investments in education in order to gain his approval. Pointing to research showing that Pennsylvania was the only state to make progress in reading and math at the elementary, middle, and high school levels from 2002 to 2008 for all student sub-groups, Governor Rendell called on lawmakers to continue to invest in the state’s efforts to improve student achievement. He cautioned that budgets proposed by Republicans in the legislature would force districts to raise property taxes and make cuts to programs, a plan refuses to sign off on. However, the continuing budget impasse is already negatively affecting school districts. Without a budget, the state cannot distribute payments to districts, leaving them short on equipment and unable to pay vendors. More here…

Briefly Noted

• Michigan students unprepared for kindergarten.
• Alabama schools may see further cuts to education budget.