Paramount Duty: KUOW reports on schools and the recession

This week, Seattle NPR station KUOW is running an indepth series "Paramount Duty: K–12 Education And The Recession." Compiled by KUOW education reporter Phyllis Fletcher, the four-day series examines "how schools are struggling to meet the complex needs of an increasingly impoverished student body with less funding from shrinking budgets." The final program. airing Thursday, includes an interview with WSSDA President-elect and Tukwila School Director Mary Fertakis. Transcripts and audio from the programs are available online at http://kuow.org/specials/paramountduty.php.

Special Legislative Update: Should school districts be concerned about changing the state’s debt limit?

The 2011 special legislative session nearly ground to a halt due to a lack of agreement between the Senate and the House Democrats on whether to approve a bill that would have sought a constitutional change to the state’s debt limit. This special legislative report looks at the issue and provides links to podcast interviews with legislative proponents and opponents.

Read the full report here.

Legislative Update: Governor signs budget bills, revenue forecast down again

Saying she was truly dismayed by $1.8 billion in cuts to education, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the 2011-13 operating budget June 15.

The largest reductions were in suspending I-728 and I-732 and eliminating K-4 class size enhancement for about $1.4 billion in “savings” to the state.

Another large reduction was $179 million for K-12 salaries – 3 percent for administrators and 1.9 percent for certificated and classified staff – which shifted the state budget problem to local school districts, forcing them to determine whether to pass on the reduction or make up the difference.

Read the full update here.

A quick view of bills passed that affect public schools, K-12 funding

WSSDA is preparing a summary of the 2011 legislative session and special session, which will be available soon.

In the meantime, here is an updated chart of bills that passed in 2011. While no means exhaustive, the chart reflects the main education policy and fiscal bills that have landed on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s desk, and may be useful to school directors who need a quick summary of the session(s).