Friday News Roundup: Week of February 20-24

New Jersey Governor aims at school aid

Arizona lawmakers advance minimum tuition bill

North Carolina Governor Perdue finds funding for more pre-K classes

Bill to give top Florida universities tuition-setting power gets thumbs-up in the House

Briefly Noted

New Jersey Governor aims at school aid
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this week released a proposal to overhaul the state’s funding formula for public K-12 schools in fiscal year 2013. Under the new plan, the 31 low-income Abbott Districts at issue in a school finance lawsuit from last year would receive flat funding from fiscal year 2012 levels. Suburban districts would benefit from the proposal, receiving a funding boost over last year. Student enrollment statistics that determine funding levels would be calculated throughout the school year, rather than on a single day. At-risk students would also receive less funding per pupil compared to the current formula. Overall, though, Christie’s budget request includes $8.87 billion for K-12 education, about $213 million more for public schools in fiscal year 2012. The legislature will have to approve the budget plan during its budgeting process. More here…

Arizona lawmakers advance minimum tuition bill
The Arizona House Appropriations Committee voted this week to approve a bill that would require full-time students at state universities to pay a minimum $2,000 toward tuition annually from non-state funds. Students could not utilize university-provided need-based grants and scholarships to afford the minimum, but could use athletic and academic scholarships, employer-provided tuition reimbursements, and work-study earnings. The proposal was developed in response to a report from the state auditor general’s office stating that nearly half of in-state undergraduates did not pay anything in tuition or mandatory fees in the 2010 school year, thanks to scholarships and financial aid. State Representative John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) stated in a hearing this week that students who are required to invest their own money to help pay for college would be less likely to drop out. All three public universities and about 100 students have expressed opposition to the bill, and the committee must vote on the bill before it goes to the full House. More here…

North Carolina Governor Perdue finds funding for more pre-K classes
North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue this week announced 2,000 new slots in the current session of the state’s pre-K program for at-risk 4-year-olds, More at Four. The program has been at the center of a heated debate; after the legislature cut funding for the program last year, a State Superior Court judge issued a ruling that the program could not turn away eligible low-income children (Republican lawmakers filed an appeal this week). The new funding will allow families to enroll their children beginning in mid-March and attend the program until they begin kindergarten classes in August. Meanwhile, a House committee on early childhood education has produced a draft report, set to be finalized next week, narrowing the definition of “at-risk” to align with federal poverty guidelines. According to the governor’s staff, the guidelines would limit eligibility for More at Four by about one-third of currently-qualified families. More here…

Bill to give top Florida universities tuition-setting power gets thumbs-up in the House
A new proposal a Senate committee okayed last week and a House committee passed on Tuesday would allow state universities to set their own tuition rates. The bill states that the universities must meet at least 11 of 14 benchmarks, including average GPA of incoming freshmen, holding more than 100 patents, and belonging to the Association of American Universities, to be eligible for the added flexibility in charging tuition, Currently, only two schools qualify: the University of Florida meets all 14 benchmarks, and Florida State University meets 12. The bill still requires approval by the full House and Senate, Governor Rick Scott, and the Florida Board of Governors. Governor Scott, for his part, has stated that he does not support any tuition increases. More here…

Briefly Noted
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley this week released her fiscal year 2013 budget proposal that would increase annual base funding for K-12 public education. Contrary to her claims, though, it would not increase funding for public schools overall; in fact, education funding would decrease by almost $80 million from 2012 levels. Many one-time fiscal year 2012 funds run out this year, and the governor’s budget does not provide replacement funds for them. More here…