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Stimulus eases community college troubles

By Kimberly Leonard, Special to Stateline.org

States are digging into their federal stimulus money to help finance community colleges, where rising tuition, soaring enrollment and budget cuts threaten to shut students out of the system.
Read More

US: Facing deficits, some states cut summer school



COCOA, Fla. — Nearly every school system in Florida has eviscerated or eliminated summer school this year, and officials are reporting sweeping cuts in states from North Carolina and Delaware to California and Washington.
Read More
AK: State loans money to student load corp.


A bill allowing the state to loan money to the Alaska Student Loan Corporation will ensure post-secondary education aid.   Read More
AL: 123,046 in Alabama still waiting for tax refunds


The longest U.S. recession since World War II has caused Alabama's tax collections to plummet so badly that more than 120,000 taxpayers are having to wait for their state income tax refunds.   Read More
HI: State wins OK for $129 million in federal funds for education


Some $129 million in federal money has been approved for public education in Hawaii under President Obama's national economic stimulus plan.   Read More
HI: Hawaii libraries brace for 20% cut in budget, may close branches


Hawai'i's state library system is facing budget cuts of more than $5.7 million, nearly 20 percent of current spending, which could lead to the closing of branches and cutting of hours.   Read More
IL: Quinn adminstration outlines budget cuts


Gov. Pat Quinn says spending cuts of about $1 billion will be needed even if lawmakers eventually pass the income tax increase he's pushing for.   Read More
IL: Investigators raid home, office of Cook County regional schools superintendent


Investigators raided the home and office of the Cook County regional schools superintendent Wednesday, carting out laptop computers, cell phones and boxes of files, sources said.   Read More
IN: Daniels -- Special session worth it


Gov. Mitch Daniels calls the roughly $150,000 cost of the special legislative session that ended Tuesday night "a great bargain" for Hoosier taxpayers, but the General Assembly's top Democrat says Gary schools had a better deal on the table in late April.   Read More
IN: Speaker says study on school funding needed


Indiana Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer says it's time for a comprehensive study on the way state tax dollars are distributed to schools.   Read More
IN: Daniels is poised to resume fight for local government reform


A day after Indiana's lawmakers passed a new two-year state budget, Gov. Mitch Daniels was already looking ahead to his next legislative goal: reforming local government, including a push to merge the state's smallest school districts.   Read More
IN: State colleges preparing new tuition rates


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Now that Indiana lawmakers have approved a new state budget, public colleges and universities can start calculating their tuition rates for next year.   Read More
KS: Governor to reveal budget plan


Educators and officials in Kansas are awaiting word from Gov. Mark Parkinson about how he plans to balance the state budget.   Read More
KS: State payments to Kansas school districts get held back again


Budget problems have forced Kansas to delay $73 million in aid payments due to public school districts at the end of June.   Read More
KS: Community colleges sue regents


DODGE CITY, Kan. — Three community colleges have sued the Kansas Board of Regents claiming unequal funding for some of their vocational and technical programs.   Read More
KS: State payments to Kansas school districts get held back again


Budget problems have forced Kansas to delay $73 million in aid payments due to public school districts at the end of June.   Read More
MA: 30 failing schools may face takeover


The Patrick administration, in a sharp deviation from previous state policy, will seek legislative approval to take over about 30 of the state's worst schools and dramatically weaken their teacher contracts, as part of the governor's effort to overhaul public education.   Read More
MI: WSU governors vote to raise tuition


Wayne State University students — except for Michigan undergraduates — will pay about 5.4% more in tuition and fees this fall over last year's rates.   Read More
MO: Missouri universities to partner for new med program


JOPLIN, Mo. -- Two Missouri universities are hoping plans for a new medical school program will provide trained professionals to relieve the physician shortage in the southern half of the state.   Read More
MO: University sees rise in financial aid requests


COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri-Columbia reports a spike in the number of students requesting financial aid for the upcoming school year.   Read More
MO: Tax credits granted for mentoring girls


Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Missouri has been approved for $85,000 in special tax credits to strengthen the organization's programs for girls.   Read More
MO: Nixon signs up state for education goals


Gov. Jay Nixon has signed up Missouri to help prepare national common education standards.   Read More
NC: Easley's appeal may be doomed


N.C. State University is highly unlikely to negotiate a settlement with former first lady Mary Easley, who earlier this week indicated she will appeal her firing, the university's new leader said Wednesday.   Read More
NH: Sigh of relief for area schools -- But worry about state funding in the future


Seacoast school districts are set to receive more than $4.5 million next school year in building aid, with additional funds coming during the 2010-2011 school year, following passage of the state budget.   Read More
NJ: New Jersey school districts show improvement under 'No Child' grading


More New Jersey school districts are meeting the requirements of the federal "No Child Left Behind" law, according to data released yesterday by the state Department of Education.   Read More
NJ: Pact averts layoffs, keeps schools open


Gov. Jon Corzine has agreed to abandon plans to close 18 regional schools the state operates for students with learning disabilities under the amended contract members of the Communications Workers of America ratified this week.   Read More
NM: NM gets $19 million for education


New Mexico is receiving more than $19 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help with education spending.   Read More
NY: Senate deadlock hits New York schools


New York City officials scrambled Wednesday to re-create a system of school governance that hasn't existed in seven years after a deadlocked state Senate failed to renew the mayor's control over public schools before a Tuesday deadline.   Read More
NY: Senate impasse forces city to revive old school board, in name


Back from the dead, almost by accident, the New York City Board of Education met for the first time in seven years Wednesday as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg technically lost control of the school system.   Read More
OR: Education funding set the agenda


Lawmakers entered the 2009 session with hopes of extending the school year, expanding full-day kindergarten, increasing college tuition aid and more.   Read More
PA: Pa. universities fighting for U.S. stimulus funds


Penn State University wants the Obama administration to stop Gov. Ed Rendell from reclassifying it and three other state-related universities as non-public and ineligible for $42 million in federal stimulus aid.   Read More
RI: R.I.'s higher education chief steps down


Tuesday marked the last day for Jack R. Warner, Rhode Island's higher education commissioner since 2002. With his departure, Rhode Island lost three education leaders on the same day.   Read More
TX: Perry beats feds' deadline for school funds


Texas Gov. Rick Perry met a deadline Wednesday to request federal stabilization funds for education — with 18 minutes to spare.   Read More
US: States, districts in delicate dance on stimulus


The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is clear: States are on the hook for advancing education improvement goals spelled out in the law as a condition for receiving up to $100 million in economic-stimulus aid to education.   Read More
New section follows stimulus spending

The enormity and complexity of the federal stimulus program weigh heavily on cash-strapped states, which are required to meet numerous application and reporting deadlines for the $49 billion in recovery money flowing into their treasuries this year. Follow how states are managing their share through extensive original reporting and graphics in Stateline.org’s special section on the stimulus program.   Read More
Tracking the recession: Budget deadline looms
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Unlike the federal government, states have to balance their budgets. But several states still have not completed spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1.   Read More
Three sticking points could stunt stimulus education reform
By Allison Armour-Garb, Special to Stateline.org

President Obama is asking states to make education reforms in exchange for almost $40 billion in stimulus funds for schools. But his aspirations may be on a collision course with competing realities, such as pressures to use the money to save teachers' jobs, writes Allison Armour-Garb with the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government in a commentary for Stateline.org.
  Read More

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Center on Education Policy released its annual report on the state of high school exit exams on Sept. 6.
Education Week released its annual "Diploma Counts" report June 12, with the news that more than 1.2 million students will not graduate this year. 
The U.S. Department of Education reported June 7 on the huge gap between students scoring proficient on state tests versus students who are proficient on the National Assessment of Education Progress, raising questions about the difficulty of state tests.
The Center on Education Policy released June 5 the first report to analyze state tests and find that reading and math scores have improved since the enactment of No Child Left Behind. 
The Education Trust released comprehensive state summaries Dec. 13, detailing student performance on federal assessments, the achievement gap, state demographics, and more. Ed Trust also released a report Dec. 20 breaking down school funding by state.


USEFUL LINKS
Read the latest news, analysis and research on the economic crisis in the states in Stateline.org's new Recession and Recovery special section.
The Stimulus and the
States

Follow how states are managing the stimulus money and which programs are receiving funding as part of the recovery effort using Stateline.org's stimulus special section.




Click here for Stateline.org's interactive map following the recession and stimulus in all 50 states.


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