States can choose to set aside 3 percent of their Title I money under the “direct student services” provision of ESSA for course choice, among other programs. States could also potentially use Title IV block grants authorized (but not yet funded) for states to provide well-rounded educational programs and school improvement programs under Title I to boost course choice.
The school district began displaying decals on five of its buses that promote a program called “A Hope and a Future,” started by the Booneville Rotary Club to raise money for scholarships for Booneville students… The decals were paid for by area businesses, which get their logo printed on the decals, and 75 percent of the net proceeds go to the school district to help repair and maintain its 18-bus fleet.
The disparity in school funding is especially noticeable here in eastern North Carolina as most rural counties farther inland fall well below the state average for spending per student. However, coastal areas benefit from a tourism driven economy and high property values, so spending per student increases markedly.
Over the next few years, they must absorb much higher pension payments and likely cuts in the federal budget, while relying on state funding that, though still rising, isn’t keeping pace with increasing costs.
Newark schools superintendent: The argument that charters are taking resources from public schools is also misleading. When a student opts to attend a public charter school, it is only reasonable that the revenues associated with that student go with him or her. But it is also fair that adequate funding remain with the district to cover its fixed and legacy costs. In Newark, I have worked hard to ensure that the district retains funding to cover those costs.
Oklahoma: A revenue failure was declared for the current fiscal year, requiring cuts to state-appropriated agencies, including the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The school board and administrators associations estimate that because of student enrollment increases amid all reductions for the current year, schools have about $160 less to spend per student than they did in 2015-16.
The district hopes to keep good teachers by allowing them to reach that salary maximum faster than they could in surrounding districts using more traditional pay scales. The proposal also allows for bonuses for teachers with advanced degrees and those who work in hard-to-staff subjects like math, science, and special education.
Supporters of the change say it would allow schools to be more innovative with instructional time and that state report cards would hold them accountable for outcomes such as student attendance, achievement, academic improvement and graduation rates…But some worry that taking away the baseline for instructional hours could have unintended consequences, especially in districts where many students are struggling.
Urban researchers who study intersections between education and community development find that planning efforts are seldom aligned—but perhaps they should be. After all, a stable population base is critical for school enrollment, and good schools build a stronger community. But political buy-in for community transformation as a means of school transformation can be difficult.
In recent years, smaller and rural school districts have been hit the hardest by declining revenue from the state, Turney said. As Indiana has moved towards a pay-per-pupil model, districts losing students also lose money and aren’t given time to adjust.