CMS $1.95B budget aims to increase teacher pay, improve literacy
The proposed budget for the next school year amounts to $1.95 billion, which is less than a percent increase from last year's budget.
It prioritizes improving literacy, math performance, and post-graduation readiness while ensuring fiscal responsibility.
'While this budget is certainly tight, I believe that this recommendation reflects a balanced approach,' said Superintendent Crystal Hill.
The budget proposal assumes a 3% increase in state-funded salaries, and CMS is closely monitoring state legislative actions.
House Bill 192 suggests a 22% salary increase over two years, while Governor Stein's budget proposal includes a 10.6% increase.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget
Kelly Kluttz, CMS Chief Financial Officer, noted that both state proposals would raise the minimum state teacher salary to $50,000, which would enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
To manage costs, CMS plans to save $3.4 million by not filling 40 positions and an additional $3.8 million by repurposing central office resources.
These savings will help enhance pay for assistant principals, specialists, and the professional development platform.
Beth Thompson, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, stated, 'We've taken those dollars and are contributing it toward other things in the district.'
Superintendent Hill emphasized that the goal is to maintain the student experience without impacting the workforce, stating, 'So any cut that we've made, students will not feel it, families will not feel it.'
The CMS Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on April 8th, with a vote scheduled for April 22nd.
The proposed budget aims to balance fiscal responsibility with the district's educational goals.
VIDEO: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
19 hours ago
- New York Post
Democratic governors face a school-choice reckoning: Kids or unions?
Republicans in Congress achieved a historic breakthrough last month — and Democratic governors should jump at the chance to take advantage of it. It's the first-ever nationwide school choice program, included as part of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The program aims to give every child in America a shot at a better future by funding private- and parochial-school scholarships through a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit. Advertisement But each state's governor has to choose to join it — and nowhere is the need more urgent than in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul has a golden opportunity to make good on her own words. In 2022, in her gubernatorial debate with GOP nominee Lee Zeldin, Hochul said she supported lifting New York's charter school cap. But in the years since, she's let the leftist state Legislature handcuff charter expansion, leaving too many poor kids stuck in a one-size-fits-all government school monopoly that's failing them spectacularly. Advertisement Empire State families are demanding more choices to escape from failing district schools. Tens of thousands of kids are on charter-school waitlists in New York City — and 78% of New York parents support Education Savings Accounts like the school choice initiative passed by Congress. New York spent about $37,000 per student in 2023 — 66% higher than the state's average private-school tuition — yet only 13% of NYC's black 8th graders are proficient in math. Statewide, inflation-adjusted per-student spending has skyrocketed 209% since 1970. Have outcomes gotten 209% better? Advertisement Of course not: Test scores have stagnated or declined, proving that throwing more money at the problem without competition is a fool's errand. But now Hochul can't blame the Democrat-controlled state Legislature as an excuse to keep poor kids from accessing better schools, whether charter, private or religious. The new federal school-choice program puts the decision squarely in her hands, and in the hands of her fellow governors. Advertisement Other states' Democratic leaders are showing signs of cracking under the pressure of common sense. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's team has said he's considering opting in to the federal program. Even more encouraging is North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, who vetoed a bill passed by the state's GOP-controlled legislature demanding he sign on to the program — calling the bill 'unnecessary,' since he 'intend[s] to opt North Carolina in.' Stein's veto message explicitly stated that 'school choice is good for students and parents,' and pledged to allow North Carolina's public-school students access to the funding. Stein's stance could encourage other Democratic governors to jump on the bandwagon. Speaking of which, California's Gov. Gavin Newsom should opt in, too. He sent his own kids to private school, and attended one himself in his early years. It's hypocritical to oppose school choice for other families while enjoying it for your own. Advertisement What makes the new federal program so compelling — even for Democratic governors beholden to teachers' unions — is a built-in incentive that's impossible to ignore. If states don't opt in, their constituents — whether they know it or not — will be subsidizing scholarships for families in the red states that are already rushing to sign on. All American families and taxpaying individuals can donate to K-12 scholarship-granting organizations and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit in exchange, even if their state doesn't join up. Advertisement All the governors can decide is whether kids in their state can access those scholarships. Opting out means shooting your state in the foot: Your taxpayers' donations will flow to other states' kids, leaving your own students behind. The ongoing crisis in our schools amplifies the urgency. Last week a new FBI report revealed 1.3 million crimes committed at schools from 2020 to 2024, including about 540,000 physical assaults. Advertisement The statistics prove what parents already know: Too many kids are getting beaten, bullied and traumatized in environments that should be safe havens for learning. Democratic governors can no longer do the bidding of teachers' unions by locking children in failing schools infested with violence. The unions' iron grip has protected mediocrity and danger for too long. School choice breaks that stranglehold, giving parents the power to vote with their feet and demand better. Trump's bill puts children first and champions freedom, opportunity and accountability in education. Advertisement It's time for Hochul and her peers to free our kids from the public school monopoly by helping families find better education opportunities. If she doesn't, she risks cementing a legacy of statewide failure and decline. Corey DeAngelis is a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and a visiting fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research.
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
EXCLUSIVE: Medicaid directs states to crack down on illegal immigrant enrollees with monthly checks
FIRST ON FOX: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new nationwide push to purge illegal immigrants from public health insurance programs on Tuesday. Under the new initiative, CMS will issue monthly enrollment reports to states that identify any Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees whose citizenship or immigration status cannot be confirmed through federal databases. These databases will include the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, among others. The first of those monthly reports was sent out Tuesday, CMS indicated in an announcement about the new initiative. Every single state will receive an individual report over the course of a month. Meanwhile, states will be expected to report back to CMS on the results of their verification reviews. "We are tightening oversight of enrollment to safeguard taxpayer dollars and guarantee that these vital programs serve only those who are truly eligible under the law," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. "Every dollar misspent is a dollar taken away from an eligible, vulnerable individual in need of Medicaid and CHIP," added CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "This action underscores our unwavering commitment to program integrity, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and ensuring benefits are strictly reserved for those eligible under the law." Since President Donald Trump began his second term, the GOP president has taken several steps to ensure non-citizens are not accessing public benefits that are supposed to be reserved for American citizens. One of the first steps the second Trump administration took was an executive order issued by the president in February. The order directed federal agencies to identify programs currently allowing illegal immigrants to receive federal benefits and take necessary action to ensure non-residents are not obtaining taxpayer-funded benefits in violation of a law passed in 1996 called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Several weeks later, the Department of Health and Human Services indicated it was widening the list of federal government-operated programs deemed to be public benefits. The move increased the number of programs from 31 to 44. Meanwhile, provisions in the highly contentious Republican spending package passed last month added new statutory obligations requiring states to more frequently check the eligibility of Medicaid enrollees at least twice per year. Earlier this month, a judge told Trump's Health and Human Services Department to stop sharing enrollee information with immigration authorities, after the administration began sharing this information to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with their deportation efforts. A coalition of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general, led by New York AG Letitia James, are suing the Trump administration over its new policies that require verification of immigrant status for participation in federally-funded programs. "For decades, states like New York have built health, education, and family support systems that serve anyone in need," James said last month. "These programs work because they are open, accessible, and grounded in compassion. Now, the federal government is pulling that foundation out from under us overnight, jeopardizing cancer screenings, early childhood education, primary care, and so much more. This is a baseless attack on some of our country's most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand."
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
PPB Capital Partners Propels Growth Trajectory Forward
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PPB Capital Partners, a leading alternative investment provider offering access and tailored solutions for the private wealth community, announced a series of milestones underscoring sustained momentum and dedication to advancing alternative investments. As a pioneering alternative investment provider, the firm's agility in navigating a changing market and addressing the evolving needs of private wealth advisors continues to power its sustained momentum. This adaptability has propelled the firm forward. In 2024, the firm achieved 39.3% topline revenue growth, further underscoring its strong trajectory and market leadership, earning PPB a place on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. This recognition is a testament to PPB's strategic vision, disciplined execution, and unwavering client-first approach. 'Our growth is fueled by a clear vision: to deliver highly differentiated alternative investment solutions that meet the shifting needs of private wealth advisors,' said Brendan Lake, Founder & CEO of PPB Capital Partners. 'This recognition reflects the trust of our advisors and partners, as well as the dedication of our team to creating value across the alternatives spectrum.' Expanded Platform with New Institutional-Caliber Managers PPB continues to build its Capital Markets Solutions (CMS) program, offering high-net-worth investors streamlined access to the entire alternative investment asset class that is historically reserved for large institutional investors. The most recent addition is Northmarq Fund Management, a preferred equity commercial real estate manager, alongside other top-tier managers, broadening the scope of opportunities available to advisors and their clients. Broader Strategy Access Across Alternatives The platform now includes a more diversified range of alternative strategies, spanning real estate, private credit, private equity, digital assets, litigation finance, and music and entertainment royalties. Among other niche opportunities, this diverse access empowers advisors to customize allocations in line with their clients' objectives. Enhanced Customized Solutions, Including Registered Offerings PPB has also expanded its customized solutions capabilities—including registered product structures—designed to meet the operational, regulatory, and portfolio objectives of private wealth advisors. These solutions enable advisors to offer a broader range of clients enhanced access, tax efficiency, and scalability without adding operational complexity. 'Our mission is to simplify the complexities of alternatives, so advisors can focus on growing their practice and supporting important client relationships,' Evan Deussing, CIMA, Head of Distribution at PPB Capital Partners. About PPB Capital Partners PPB Capital Partners is a full-service alternative investment provider that partners with private wealth advisors to deliver curated access to differentiated alternative investment strategies, customized fund solutions, and operational excellence. PPB's alternative solutions are designed to simplify investing in alternative investments, enabling advisors to grow and scale their businesses and focus on their core value in the eyes of their clients. *The Inc. 5000 list ranking, conducted by Inc., is based on information regarding private companies in America. The criteria includes privately held, for-profit based in the U.S., generated revenue by March 31, 2021, generated at least $100,000 in revenue in 2021, and generated at least $2 million in revenue in 2024. PPB Capital Partners paid Inc. 5000 a fee to be evaluated for possible inclusion in the list, but did not to be included in the rankings.
