Friday News Roundup: Week of June 1-4

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 Community College Turn Students Away from Summer Courses

Louisiana Budget Crisis May Mean Campus Closures

Tired of Waiting on Legislature, New York Governor Takes on Budget Cuts

California Community College Turn Students Away from Summer Courses
Students at California’s 110 community colleges won’t be able to take many of the courses they need this summer, according to Chancellor Jack Scott. Despite camping out overnight, in some cases, to sign up for necessary classes, many students were unable to enroll in the courses they need. Colleges have had to cut down course offerings for the summer session due to an 8 percent budget cut for the current 2010 fiscal year. At some campuses, courses required for students to transfer to 4-year universities are full or not being offered over the summer. Over the academic year, Chancellor Scott estimates that 140,000 students have been turned away from the community college system, with thousands more missing out over the summer session. More here and here…

Louisiana Budget Crisis May Mean Campus Closures
Members of the Louisiana Senate Budget Committee have requested that the state’s education officials submit a plan for how they would cut $290 million from their operating budget in fiscal year 2012, when federal stimulus funding is no longer available. Last month, the state Board of Regents released several possible scenarios, including closing eight college campuses around the state. State Education Commissioner Sally Claussen is reluctant to use campus closures to close the budget gap, but lawmakers believe it may be a necessary way to balance the budget. Adding uncertainty to the budget picture, Louisiana will need a waiver from the federal government to use the $290 million in federal stimulus aid in the coming 2011 fiscal year. The state is $65 million short of meeting the “maintenance of effort” requirement in the stimulus law. More here…

Tired of Waiting on Legislature, New York Governor Takes on Budget Cuts
New York Governor David Patterson this week announced that he will begin making budget cuts in his emergency appropriations. The state’s fiscal year 2011 budget plan was due on April 1^st, but lawmakers have yet to come to an agreement on how to cut $9 million from the spending plan to balance the budget. As a result, Governor Patterson must submit weekly emergency appropriations bills. His announcement indicated that he will begin making cuts where he sees fit in order to stop the budget deficit from growing. Governor Patterson said he will withhold payments to schools as one money-saving measure. More here…