Reducing the Amount of Money Spent on Special Ed

What happens to special education when federal stimulus dollars run out?

IDEA Money Watch, a watchdog group that monitors special ed expenditures, including Recovery Act funds, fears that school districts could begin to cut back their spending in the coming year. And it has reason to.

In 2009, schools districts were allowed to supplant up to half of their local spending required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (the federal special ed law) with stimulus dollars. Now that the stimulus dollars are running out, they don't necessarily have to return their local allocations to the previous level ...

Posted July 18, 2011 noon | 0 comments

First Quarter Data Reveal States Have Spent 75% of Stimulus Funds

New federal data compiled on EdMoney.org, EWA's stimulus-tracker website, show that cumulatively, the 50 states and the District of Columbia have spent 74.82 percent of their funding for education from the 2009 economic stimulus law.

As of the end of April 2011, 28 states had reported spending 75 percent or more of their stimulus money, while 40 states reported spending two-thirds of it or more. The 10 states that had reported spending the largest share of their funding were:

Iowa, 93.07%
New Hampshire, 92.42%
South Dakota, 89.14%
Minnesota, 87.36%
California, 87.12%
Idaho, 86.92%
New Jersey, ...

Posted May 11, 2011 2:03 p.m. | 0 comments

Reporters Puzzled by Edujobs Estimates

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the emergency jobs bill that is supposed to save 160,000 teaching jobs around the country.

A spreadsheet on the House Education and Labor Committee website shows how much money each state should receive and how many teaching jobs each state should save.

But reporters were skeptical during a press conference call held today by Arne Duncan after the jobs bill was passed. For example, columnist Peter Callaghan of the Tacoma News Tribune told Duncan that he had a hard time finding districts that needed to rehire teachers in Washington ...

Posted Aug. 10, 2010 7:16 p.m. | 0 comments

Updated: Who will apply for the next round of Race to the Top money?

Is the high bar Education Secretary Arne Duncan set after awarding the first Race to the Top awards getting lower? In the first round, there were 41 applicants. Kentucky is saying its lack of charter laws may make it pointless to reapply -- but it has decided to forge ahead. Minnesota was considering it, but the governor said it's not realistic without reforms and they are not going forward. The U.S. Department of Education's own analysis seems to indicate that major changes alone won't net a state a win in the future. "Both of the winning states built ...

Posted May 25, 2010 6 a.m. | 0 comments

President Obama seeks to expand Race to the Top program

President Barack Obama announced plans today to seek the expansion of the Race to the Top competition, requesting $1.35 billion in his 2011 budget.

The announcement comes as states competing for the first round of RTTT grants met today’s deadline to submit the stimulus grant application. A total of 40 states joined the competition for $4.35 billion in stimulus grants.  

“Offering our children an outstanding education is one of our most fundamental – perhaps our most fundamental obligation as a country,” said Obama, who made the announcement while visiting Graham Road Elementary in Falls Church, ...

Posted Jan. 19, 2010 3:52 p.m. | 0 comments

Growth in Education Spending Slowed in 2009

The nation&'s overall education spending grew at a slower pace in 2009 than at any other time in more than a decade, amid deepening state fiscal woes and flatter tax revenues, according to new census figures released Wednesday. Winnie Hu and Robert Gebeloff, The New York Times, May 25, 2011

Posted May 26, 2011 9:39 a.m.

Idaho voters raise taxes for schools after lawmakers wouldn’t

Idahoans around the state are voting to raise their own property taxes in the wake of a third straight year of cuts in school funding approved by state lawmakers. In elections in 65 of the state's 115 school districts this spring, 54 have been successful – that's 83 percent - in passing supplemental property tax levies to boost basic operating funds for local schools, while 11 have failed. Betsy Z. Russell, Spokesman-Review, May 20, 2011

Posted May 24, 2011 2 p.m.

Idaho school districts wonder how they’ll keep gadgets running

Tasked with purchasing more laptop computers, interactive whiteboards and other tech devices, some school officials wonder how they’ll pay for support staff to keep the gadgets running daily, especially as funding for staff positions is reduced to pay for Luna's reforms. Amy Huddlestone, Magic Valley Times-News, May 10, 2011

Posted May 10, 2011 10:52 a.m.

Idaho schools chief proposes sweeping education overhaul

Idaho's proposed education reforms come at a time when the public schools budget is lean, and budget cuts have led to everything from fewer class days to slashed field trips and music programs. Ben Botkin, Magic Valley Times-News, Jan. 13, 2011

Posted Jan. 13, 2011 1:55 p.m.

Fate of $31 million from education jobs bill raising questions

A $31 million federal education jobs bill that was touted for saving teachers' jobs in Montana this year might not save any of those jobs, according to education officials. By Kristen Cates, Great Falls Tribune

Posted Sept. 27, 2010 1:03 p.m.

Some states walk away from 'Race to Top' millions

About two dozen states are going back to Washington for another shot at billions in education grants under the "Race to the Top" program, but at least nine others with more than 7 million children are opting out of trying a second time. For them, a chance at hundreds of millions of dollars wasn't enough to overcome the opposition of teachers unions, the wariness of state leaders to pass laws to suit the program and fears of giving up too much local control.

Posted June 1, 2010 4:07 p.m.

Outcome uncertain for federal teacher aid

When the Legislature cut state funding in 2009 for the state’s public education budget, federal stimulus funding helped diminish the effects on Idaho’s schools. That year, federal stimulus funding brought $145.7 million to schools after the 2009 session ended. But for the coming fiscal year, a federal bailout to offset state cuts isn’t a prospect anyone’s counting on.

Posted June 1, 2010 9:17 a.m.

Idaho will not apply for second round of federal education funding

After being denied its initial request for Race to the Top funds, the Idaho State Department of Education (SDOE) decided Friday not to seek money from the federal education program in the second round of the application process.  Only two states, Delaware and Tennessee, were awarded federal dollars in the first round of grants.

Posted May 24, 2010 5:44 p.m.

Education funding woes spark Idaho charter school opposition

A bill aiming to selectively lift Idaho's six-per-year limit on new charter schools is apparently dead in a legislative committee after drawing stiff opposition from state organizations representing school districts, administrators and teachers. The measure's sponsor, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde, said he fears the bill's demise will hurt Idaho's chances for winning $120 million in "Race to the Top" education-stimulus funds from the federal government.

Posted March 28, 2010 2:28 p.m.

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps

Federal stimulus money has helped avoid drastic cuts at public schools in most parts of the nation, at least so far. But with the federal money running out, many of the nation's schools are approaching what officials are calling a “funding cliff.

Posted Feb. 7, 2010 11:07 p.m.

23 States Post Applications Online

Here's an entirely unverified and completely ad hoc collection of the nearly 20 state RTTT applications that have been located online thanks to blog readers, Twitter friends, and education writers on the EWA listserv.

Posted Jan. 21, 2010 9:30 a.m.

Idaho superintendents discuss Race to the Top funds

Superintendents expressed concerns about the federal funds even though their school districts signed up to participate in Idaho's application. The state education department is applying for $75 million to $100 million.

Posted Jan. 19, 2010 7:22 p.m.

Race to the Top: 41 Applications Submitted for Phase 1

40 states and the District of Columbia submitted applications to compete in Phase 1 of Race to the Top. Those 41 applicants are listed below. (Today was the deadline for submitting those applications.)

Posted Jan. 19, 2010 5:15 p.m.

School Improvement Grant

Amount: $10,650,687

The stimulus fund provided an additional $3 billion to help turn around the lowest-performing schools with various school intervention models.

Awarded Dec. 3, 2009

Title I

Amount: $34,955,709

Title I, Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) received $10 billion for schools with high concentrations of students from families who live in poverty. The guidelines call for educators to implement innovative strategies to improve teaching and learning and to close the achievement gap for at-risk students. The Education Department's website notes that the funding should enable schools to serve more students than the estimated 20 million previously covered by Title 1.

Awarded Aug. 31, 2009

IDEA C

Amount: $2,689,423

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) Part C provided funds to state agencies designated by their governors to make early-intervention services available to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. IDEA Part C stimulus grants for disabled infants and families provided an extra $500 million.

Awarded Aug. 31, 2009

Ed Tech

Amount: $3,209,375

The Ed Tech Grants program's goal is to ensure that every student is technologically literate by the end of 8th grade and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development. States may retain up to 5 percent of their allocations for state-level activities, and must award at least one half of the remainder competitively to eligible districts. The stimulus fund provided $650 million toward the grants.

Awarded July 24, 2009

State Stabilization Fund

Amount: $201,699,682

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program is a one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion distributed directly to states to: help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential public services; help ensure that school districts have the resources to avert cuts and retain educational personnel and staff; help support the modernization, renovation, and repair of schools.

Awarded May 22, 2009

Homeless Children and Youth

Amount: $212,196

The additional $70 million from the stimulus for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program more than doubled the dollars available to help districts meet the educational and other needs of homeless children and youth.

Awarded April 10, 2009

IDEA B

Amount: $53,247,375

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) comes in two parts. IDEA Part B provides funds to states, school districts, and charter schools to ensure that children with disabilities, including pre-schoolers ages 3 to 5, have access to a "free and appropriate" public education. The stimulus dollars targeted for IDEA Part B call for states to implement "innovative strategies" to improve outcomes for children and youths with disabilities while stimulating the economy. The ARRA funding provided $11.3 billion to states and another $400 million in preschool funding. "

Awarded April 1, 2009