Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has drawn a controversial comparison between opposition to increased school spending and the Confederacy’s resistance to freeing slaves, sparking a heated debate in the city. Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, has clashed with the district’s CEO over budget allocations and has appointed six new nominees to the school board in an effort to overhaul the city’s public education system.
Senator Ted Cruz has introduced a bill that would require schools to disclose foreign funding and curriculum contributions, aiming to prevent undue influence from countries like China. The legislation, called the TRACE Act, seeks to provide parents with transparency and safeguard classrooms from foreign interference.
Voters in two Bay Area school districts are being misled about proposed parcel taxes due to deceptive ballot language and poorly timed elections aimed at suppressing voter turnout.
The Gorham Town Council will hold a public hearing and vote on May 14 on a proposed $53.5 million school budget. The budget, which represents a $3.5 million increase from the current $50 million, includes $600,000 from an unspent fund balance to ease the impact on local taxpayers. The School Committee’s proposed budget raises the portion of the town’s tax rate to pay for education by 9.05%, representing an 80 cent increase per thousand dollars of property valuation. The budget will go to the town’s voters in a validation referendum on June 11.
New Jersey’s school funding formula has undergone a major revamp, with significant changes in state aid for different districts. While some districts will receive substantial funding increases, others will see reductions. The new formula considers factors such as district size, low-income and special education student populations, and enrollment trends. Wildwood City School District faces a significant funding decline, while Deal experiences a substantial increase. The formula’s complexity includes considerations for student demographics, local tax revenue, and enrollment shifts.
