Latest news with #schoolfunding
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wolverine schools' operating millage up for renewal in Aug. 5 election
CHEBOYGAN — Voters who live within the boundaries of the Wolverine Community Schools district will be asked to vote on renewing an operating millage for the district in the upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 5 election. Registered voters in portions of Ellis, Mentor and Wilmot townships and all of Nunda Township will vote at the Nunda Township Hall, 12991 S. Straits Highway, according to Cheboygan County Clerk Karen Brewster. There is no early voting for this ballot measure. Wolverine Schools Superintendent Matthew Baughman said the district is asking voters to renew the standard 18-mill operating levy until 2030. "This is not a new tax for homeowners. This a renewal of the non-homestead operating millage that applies to local businesses, rental properties and second homes," Baughman said. "For Wolverine residents who live in their home full time, this tax does not apply to them and their taxes will not increase." Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you The millage is a standard part of the formula to fund public schools in the state, added Baughman. "Renewing it allows us to continue receiving the full foundation allowance from the state. Without this renewal, the district would lose approximately $1.1 million per year, which would significantly impact our ability to operate and serve students," he said. If it doesn't pass, the district is obligated to bring it back before the voters again, Baughman said. — Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@ This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Wolverine Community Schools operating millage up for renewal in Aug. 5, 2025 election Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump administration to release over $5 billion school funding that it withheld
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration will release more than $5 billion in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation. "(The White House Office of Management and Budget) has completed its review ... and has directed the Department to release all formula funds," Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the U.S. Education Department, said in an emailed statement. "The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week," Biedermann added. Further details on the review and what it found were not shared in the statement. A senior administration official said "guardrails" would be in place for the amount being released, without giving details about them. The release of the more than $5 billion amount was reported earlier by the Washington Post. Early in July, the Trump administration said it would not release funding previously appropriated by Congress for schools and that an initial review found signs the money was misused to subsidize what it alleged was "a radical leftwing agenda." States say $6.8 billion in total was affected by the freeze. Last week, $1.3 billion was released. After the freeze, a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states sued to challenge the move, and 10 Republican U.S. senators wrote to the Republican Trump administration to reverse its decision. Republican U.S. lawmakers welcomed the move on Friday, while Democratic lawmakers said there was no need to disrupt funding in the first place. The frozen money covered funding for education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment and after-school and summer programs. The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Medicaid Is More Than Health Insurance—It's A Lifeline For Public Schools
Medicaid Cuts Are Coming: And Schools Will Pay the Price A doctor examines a young girl during an office visit. Learning Policy Institute President and CEO Elena Silva co-authored this commentary Earlier this month, President Trump signed sweeping legislation that included massive cuts to Medicaid, estimated at over $1 trillion over the next decade, an average of close to $100 billion annually. While much attention has been paid to these Medicaid cuts, most people don't realize the devastating impact these funding cuts will have on schools and students across the country, (including in states where Medicaid operates under different names, like Medi-Cal in California or TennCare in Tennessee). Even fewer understand that many of the cuts are strategically timed to begin toward the end of 2026, after many voters make their midterm election decisions. When we think about Medicaid, we typically think about health insurance. But Medicaid is also among the largest funding sources for K–12 public schools, providing an estimated $7.5 billion annually to pay for essential services for student learning and development. For the median U.S. school district, Medicaid provides health coverage for over 40% of children. School districts rely on Medicaid funds to cover speech, physical, and occupational therapies; specialized medical equipment; assistive technologies; and transportation. Medicaid helps to pay for the salaries of school nurses, psychologists, speech therapists, and many others who work directly in our schools. It also helps to fund mental and behavioral health services, which have become increasingly critical as schools respond to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors among students. When a 3rd-grader gets reading support for their dyslexia, when a school psychologist provides counseling to a high schooler having a mental health crisis, or when a nurse administers insulin to a middle school student with Type 1 diabetes, it is often Medicaid that pays the bill. Medicaid's Role in Student Health and Success Research on the positive impact of these services is well established. School-based health services have been shown to improve student health, reduce absenteeism in rural communities, and lower health care costs. For children with chronic health conditions like asthma or Type 1 diabetes, dozens of studies have concluded that school-based health services improve both students' health and their academic outcomes. A number of studies have also found that children served by Medicaid are more likely to be healthy as adolescents and adults, to graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher wages as adults. For nearly half of America's children, Medicaid supports everything from prenatal and postnatal care to preventive health care and glasses when they are needed. One study found that increases in Medicaid eligibility at birth led to improvements in reading test scores in the 4th and 8th grades. Another found a boost in children's reading scores after their parents became newly eligible for Medicaid coverage. A recent nationwide survey of 1,440 school district leaders conducted by the Healthy Schools Campaign and its partners reveals the enormous impact of these cuts on schools and students. Among school leaders nationwide, 80% expect reductions and layoffs of school health staff, 70% anticipate cuts to mental and behavioral health services, and 62% foresee reductions in assistive technology and specialized equipment for students with disabilities. Most also pointed to early intervention and preventive services as areas for cutbacks. A district leader in Louisiana, the state that stands to lose the greatest funding, predicted, 'Students with disabilities will receive significantly fewer services, which will negatively impact their academic achievement and attendance.' Rural district educators were even more vivid in their depictions of anticipated outcomes. In Nevada: In Wisconsin: Even more troubling is that 90% of school leaders predict that Medicaid cuts will force budget reductions across their entire district, not just for health and special education services. Earlier this year, an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that federal Medicaid cuts represent 19% of state spending on education per pupil on average (with percentages ranging from 7% to 38%, depending on the state), potentially forcing states to choose between increasing taxes or cutting education funding. The administration's earlier cancellation of $1 billion in mental health grant funding has already forced districts to lay off mental health professionals and cut training programs, compounding the challenges they face in providing services and making ends meet. Schools and communities that will bear the heaviest cost are those that already face the greatest challenges: schools in rural areas, schools serving students from low-income families, and families with children with disabilities. Rural schools often serve as the primary health care provider in their communities. They also often pull from limited tax bases, which makes it more difficult to offset the losses of Medicaid funding. As one rural Michigan district official noted in the recent survey, 'Due to the remote area we serve, our students have little to no access to medical services other than those provided in schools. Loss of Medicaid funding would severely hamper our ability to support our students.' Losing Medicaid funding will also mean a significant reduction in both the already inadequately funded system that serves students with disabilities and state and local general education budgets. By law, schools must provide services outlined in students' individualized education programs (IEPs), regardless of funding. As a result, local communities would have to either raise taxes substantially or cut other educational services to maintain legally mandated special education programs. A school business official from a rural New York district observed in the survey, 'Lost revenue on the Medicaid revenue lines would create a domino effect on other services/staffing being provided to regular education students.' And another in rural Minnesota agreed: The 2025 budget legislation represents a massive shift that will affect the learning and development of millions of students across every school district in the country over the coming decade. The delayed implementation of many of these cuts—after voters making midterm election decisions in 2026—is no accident. Voters may not yet have seen school nurses laid off, therapy services eliminated, and other cuts to general education programs. For their part, school leaders across the country are already planning for reduced services and potential staffing cuts. The Broader Costs of Medicaid Cuts Beyond the funding that will be cut from school budgets, there will be other spillover effects from the recent bill as Medicaid and Medicare cuts, along with loss of tax credits for other insurance, affect families. An estimated 17 million people are estimated to lose coverage as restrictions on enrollment are implemented, and the coverage others have will be less comprehensive, leaving many services unreimbursed. Twelve states have 'trigger laws' that would automatically end their Medicaid expansion if federal funding drops below 90%. This would drop coverage for millions more adults and create severe pressure on state budgets. Furthermore, projected closures of nursing homes and hospitals, particularly in rural areas, will leave families under strain to care for those who are elderly, ill, or disabled, and will reduce access to medical care for entire communities. Compounding all of these cuts are reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program, as the federal government reduces its contribution to SNAP by an estimated $186 billion through 2034. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that this will eliminate or substantially reduce food assistance to the families of 1 million children. Further, if students become ineligible for SNAP or Medicaid, they could also lose access to other school-based assistance programs, including free meals, since school districts often use SNAP or Medicaid eligibility to determine eligibility for other programs, such as free and reduced-price lunch. All of these factors will lead to additional strains on families, with direct impacts on children and schools. As a school business official in a rural Michigan district noted: When Medicaid funding disappears from schools, it doesn't just affect individual students; it weakens the foundation of entire communities. These cuts represent more than budget line items—they're the elimination of school nurses, speech therapists, and counselors who help students every day. If we truly believe in a future where every child can thrive, then protecting Medicaid funding for schools isn't just policy. It's a promise we must keep.
Irish Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Some schools are relying on deposit return scheme to stop them going broke
If you are stumbling across sacks of cans and bottles in your child's primary school , welcome to free education. The deposit return scheme is all that is standing between some primary schools and penury. Patiently feeding plastic bottles into the maw of machines outside supermarkets is keeping the lights on and schools open. Meanwhile, more is being spent on free hot meals for students than on education itself. One principal in a middle-class urban area in the west told me it costs €35,000 per month to run her large school. She receives around €21,000 in funding every month from the Department of Education and Youth , but nearly €40,000 a month from the Department of Social Protection for school meals. Her students' families are not deprived. She does not begrudge the free meals, but she wonders about priorities, given that education has been underfunded for decades. READ MORE She does resent that principals are supposed to be leading teaching and learning but instead, her days are consumed by finding ways to fund the €14,000-a-month shortfall. She is also acutely conscious that she is in the privileged position of being able to balance her budget while colleagues, especially but not only in deprived areas, are constantly running unsustainable deficits. Her hall is in high demand for rental. An after-school creche on the premises provides a valuable community service and desperately needed cash. She reluctantly levies voluntary subscriptions and is grateful that parents are both able and are eager to help with fundraising. In contrast, she knows that a principal colleague in a small primary school of 150 students cleans the school herself because she cannot afford cleaners. [ How is a school with €8,000 supposed to pay €10,000 worth of bills? Opens in new window ] As Seamus Mulconry, secretary general of the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) has said, what used to be some schools' problem is now every school's problem. CPSMA analysed the increase in costs for 250 schools from the academic year 2018-2019 to 2023-2024. Cleaning and sanitation rose by 60 per cent, utilities by 44 per cent, and insurance by 34 per cent. ICT equipment and services rose by an astonishing 551 per cent but don't mention ICT grants to principals. This year, principals were anticipating an ICT grant that would be the same as previous years, that is, €39.73 per mainstream student. They invested in equipment and software on that basis. Instead, schools received 36 per cent less, €25.33 per mainstream student. The department stated that there had been no cut. The grants had been front-loaded and it was always planned that the remaining tranche would be less than previous years. Principals pointed out that this is typical of communications with schools. There is no clarity from year to year about the amount that schools will receive and uncertainty about when they will receive it. How are schools supposed to budget? Schools are no longer places of chalk and talk. Schools use administration software such as Aladdin where the contracts can cost thousands. [ Schools told they cannot spend €9m phone pouch budget on other education needs Opens in new window ] Some schools have lifts – another maintenance contract. Alarms and security systems are now essential. Add that to the cost of living crisis and no wonder schools are, as Mulconry says, no longer underfunded but underwater. This is the time of year when budget priorities are decided. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is besieged from all quarters. He is to be commended for the fact that despite the pressures of the job, he has found time to be a community representative on the board of management in Scoil Ghrainne, in Clonee. It seems like an exemplary school, having had two autism classes since 2015, which it calls Croí classes. But it is still strapped for cash and its parents association fundraises, including through raffles and lotteries. The parents association also fielded marathon runners and in conjunction with the Keith Duffy Foundation (KDF), raised €15,000 for 'counselling services, autism assessments, teacher training for additional needs, and extracurricular activities for Croí classes. Thanks to KDF, the Sensory Pod Company is sponsoring a fully equipped sensory room.' It is not a cheap shot at Chambers to point out that the state-run community national school where he volunteers has to fundraise for its most vulnerable students. The system was broken long before he entered politics. The basic capitation grant is going up by €24 from September, but will not even make a dent in the persistent financial crisis. The payments system to schools is spread throughout the year and is cumbersome, frustrating and antiquated. A commission or taskforce is urgently needed to examine school finances. Every school has to submit audited accounts to the Financial Support Services Unit. It's imperative that all the data on these shortfalls is analysed now so that it is transparent what it really costs to run our schools. It is insane that schools pay VAT. Rendering education VAT exempt might be a first step. No amount of bottles and cans will solve persistent financial shortfalls. School leaders' public spirit is being exploited because everyone knows that their commitment to education keeps them grimly attempting to do the impossible. It is unacceptable to leave principals teetering dangerously on the edge of burnout.
Bloomberg
07-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Jersey Shore School District to Avoid Bankruptcy Due to Tax Hike
A New Jersey school district will likely avoid filing for bankruptcy after the state passed a budget that raised property taxes. The New Jersey Department of Education adopted a spending plan on behalf of the Toms River Regional School District late last week. The budget, which included a general-fund tax levy of about $222.9 million — including a 15.4% increase, according to a letter penned July 3 by Susan Naples, the acting executive county superintendent for Ocean County.
