Friday News Roundup: Week of March 22-26

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.

 <p><b>Idaho</b><b> Legislature Approves Cuts to Education Budget</b></p>     <p><b>Alabama</b><b> House Committee Approves Education Budget Proposal</b></p>     <p><b>Iowa</b><b> Lawmakers Work to Finalize Budget that Includes Increase for Education</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Idaho</b><b> Legislature Approves Cuts to Education Budget</b><br>Both houses of the Idaho state legislature this week passed a <a href="http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12206400">$1.6 billion education budget</a> plan for fiscal year 2011, a 7.5 percent cut from current fiscal year 2010 levels. This represents the first year in the state’s history that total public education funding has been reduced. The bill will now head to Governor Butch Otter for a signature. <a href="http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12206400">More here…</a></p>     <p><b>Alabama</b><b> House Committee Approves Education Budget Proposal</b><br>This week, the Alabama House of Representatives Education Appropriations Committee approved a <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EL8A9O1.htm">$5.5 billion fiscal year 2011 budget</a>, a 3 percent increase from what schools received in the current 2010 fiscal year. However, the budget remains tight, and represents an 18 percent drop in funding since fiscal year 2008. The budget approved by the committee would preserve almost all state funded teacher jobs, but wouldn’t give teachers money for classroom supplies or give schools money for textbooks. Teachers and other education employees would also have to pay more for their health insurance than they do currently. The committee rejected a proposal to save money by cutting up to five days from the 180 day school year. <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EL8A9O1.htm">More here…</a></p>     <p><b>Iowa</b><b> Lawmakers Work to Finalize Budget that Includes Increase for Education</b><br>Iowa lawmakers in both legislative houses this week worked to <a href="http://www.qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/article_24bc09de-3864-11df-88eb-001cc4c03286.html">finalize a spending plan</a> for fiscal year 2011 that would increase the state’s K-12 base school aid spending by 2 percent, or $58 million, to $2.5 billion. It would also include another $100 million to offset the effects of a ten percent across-the-board cut made by Governor Chet Culver in October 2009. Lawmakers say K-12 public education is likely to be the only piece of the budget to see an increase. They were in a rush to complete the budget by the end of the week in order to end their legislative session on time, saving $35,000-40,000 per day they are not in session. <a href="http://www.qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/article_24bc09de-3864-11df-88eb-001cc4c03286.html">More here…</a></p><!--break-->