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• Class action suit seeks to block Los Angeles district from laying off teachers at three of the district’s worst performing schools [HTML 3,436kb]
  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action suit on behalf of a group of students and parents at three of Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) worst performing schools, according to the Los Angeles Times, claiming the students are being denied their legal rights to an education, and is seeking to prevent LAUSD from laying off more teachers at those schools.
  
• Peer reviewers play key role in determining which states will be awarded RTTT funds in the first round [HTML 4,382kb]
  Education Week reports that a secret jury of peer reviewers has completed debating and scoring those states that submitted applications in the competition for $4 billion in Race to the Top (RTTT) grants.
  
• Department of Education announces 16 finalists in the first round of RTTT [HTML 1,468kb]
  The Washington Post reports that fifteen states and the District of Columbia have survived the first cut in the Obama administration’s unprecedented $4 billion school reform contest.
  
• Three districts file suit challenging Indiana education funding scheme [HTML 2,754kb]
  The Noblesville Ledger reports that a lawsuit filed in Hamilton County on behalf of Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Franklin Township Community and Middlebury Community Schools charges the state's funding formula lacks uniformity, is unconstitutional and hurts growing school districts.
  
• Schools and Libraries Universal Support Services Mechanism [HTML 1,545kb]
  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed revising the rules regarding the schools and libraries universal support mechanism, known as the E-rate program.
  
• Kansas Supreme Court rejects petition to reopen school funding suit [HTML 3,298kb]
  The Supreme Court of Kansas has voted to deny a petition by the Schools for Fair Funding (SFFF) organization to reopen Montoy v. State of Kansas, the 2006 school finance lawsuit that ordered the legislature to review its school funding formula, reports the Dodge City Daily Globe.
  
• State of Washington’s school funding system violates constitutional requirement to provide, ample, stable and dependable funding [HTML 5,100kb]
  A King County Superior Court judge has ruled that Washington is failing to meet its duty under Article IX, § 1 of the Washington Constitution to provide State funding for public schools that is ample, stable, and dependable, reports the Seattle Times.
  
• Minnesota considers withholding state aid to local districts to avoid funding shortage [HTML 2,511kb]
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration could withhold nearly $1 billion in state aid payments to public schools through May to ensure the state's checkbook doesn't run dry, under a plan unveiled Wednesday at a legislative committee meeting, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  
• Tennessee appellate court rules City of Memphis owes school system additional $50 million in funding [HTML 3,153kb]
  The Tennessee Court of Appeals, reports the Memphis Daily News, has ruled the city of Memphis owes the Memphis school system $50 million in funding by the end of June. The ruling affirms an earlier decision from the Chancery Court of Shelby County and is likely to be appealed.
  
• President Obama to seek additional $1.35 billion in RTTT funds [HTML 3,200kb]
  President Obama plans to seek $1.35 billion in his next budget to expand Race to the Top (RTTT), his signature education initiative to improve schools, says the Washington Post. RTTT uses the lure of grants to encourage school districts to raise standards, make better use of data to track student achievement, and take more forceful steps to intervene in failing schools.
  
• All but 10 states have entered the first round RTTT competition for funds [HTML 2,844kb]
  According to Education Week, 40 states and the District of Columbia applied for the first round of $4 billion in the Race to the Top Fund (RTTT) competition, which pits states against each other for desperately needed money, bragging rights, and leverage to implement controversial education reforms such as merit pay for teachers.
  
• ED assures states that there will sufficient funds for second phase of “Race to the Top” [HTML 4,386kb]
  According to Education Week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is emphasizing that for states considering whether to apply for the first or second round of “Race to the Top” (RTTT) Fund grants there will still be funds available for phase two.
  
• Teachers’ union sues New York City board over failure to use funds to reduce class size [HTML 1,853kb]
  The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) is leading a coalition of nonprofit advocacy groups and parents in a suit against the New York City Board of Education (NYCBOE) alleging the board reneged on a contract that would have given schools resources to reduce class size in underserved communities, says Courthouse News Service.
  
• Coalition of teachers’ union and local school officials sue New York’s governor over withheld funds [HTML 2,417kb]
  The New York Times reports that Gov. David Patterson is being sued by a coalition of teachers’ unions and local school officials, who allege his decision to unilaterally withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in scheduled payments to school districts violates New York’s Constitution.
  
• Kansas districts ask state’s highest court to reopen school funding suit [HTML 2,316kb]
  Schools for Fair Funding, a coalition of 74 Kansas school districts, has asked that state’s supreme court to reopen a 2006 ruling on funding of public schools to determine if the law and spending cuts are constitutional, says a report from the Associated Press.
  
• Race to the Top final rules geared to underperforming schools [HTML 8,849kb]
  The final rules for the $4 billion Race to the Top competition give states and districts more leeway in how they intervene in chronically underperforming schools, according to Education Week.
  
• New Jersey school district considers imposing fine on parents of students sent to detention [HTML 2,544kb]
  Facing budget constraints, the Nutley, New Jersey, Board of Education is looking a proposal that would impose fines on the parents of students habitually sent to detention, according to the Star-Ledger.
  
• Colorado’s teachers and school advocates join forces to fight school funding budget cuts [HTML 2,553kb]
  As the Colorado legislature prepares to cut $260 million in K-12 education funding, the state's teachers union and other school advocates are playing defense and keeping their options open, which includes filing a lawsuit, according to the Denver Post.
  
• Alabama state board endorses state superintendent’s school funding scheme [HTML 1,188kb]
  In an unanimous vote, the Alabama State Board of Education (ABE) has voted to endorse a portion of state Superintendent Joe Morton's "plan of survival" for K-12 schools that recommends Gov. Bob Riley dedicate at least 70% of the state's 2011 education budget to K-12, and that a constitutional amendment be proposed to permanently base funding on enrollment, says the Birmingham News.
  
• Governor’s proposal to use “rainy day” fund to end Hawaii’s furlough days may require law change [HTML 3,129kb]
  The Hawaii House and Senate may have to amend the law to use the "rainy day" fund to reduce teacher furloughs because money from the fund cannot cover wages for state workers, says the Honolulu Advertiser.
  
• ED issues final rules for “Race to the Top” education stimulus funds [HTML 4,890kb]
  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) unveiled its rulebook for obtaining federal education stimulus dollars under a novel federal system for keeping score of school reform, says the Washington Post.
  
• Wisconsin enacts education reform measures to improve odds of receiving “Race to the Top” funds [HTML 1,935kb]
  Gov. Jim Doyle has signed legislation allowing teachers to be evaluated, but not disciplined or dismissed, based on student performance, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That law, along with others Doyle had previously signed, improves Wisconsin's chances of landing a share of $4.35 billion in federal Race to the Top funds.
  
• Coalition of Kansas schools considering suit against state over school funding [HTML 4,046kb]
  Kansas school districts statewide are joining together with Schools for Fair Funding (SFF), the nonprofit coalition that brought a lawsuit in 1999 to increase school funding, to confront the state legislature over cuts to school funding, says the Lawrence Journal-World & News.
  
• Federal court denies preliminary injunction to stop Hawaii teacher furlough [HTML 2,456kb]
  A U.S. district court in Hawaii has declined to issue an order putting a temporary halt to the state department of education’s teacher furlough plan, says Associated Press. Although he said it was a close call, Judge Wallace Tashima denied the request to prevent any further closings of Hawaii’s public schools on Fridays.
  
• Denver considers implementing federal education-stimulus program reform measure to fix its worst schools [HTML 2,629kb]
  Denver Public Schools is the first district in Colorado set to deploy stern academic reforms pushed by a White House education stimulus program to fix the nation's worst schools, says the Denver Post.
  
• Parents sue to block state’s plan for teacher “furlough Fridays” [HTML 5,901kb]
  The Honolulu Advertiser reported that two separate suits have been filed by parents of special education and regular education students challenging Hawaii's plan to furlough teachers on 17 Fridays. In both suits the parents are seeking a temporary injunction to prevent the state from carrying out the plan.
  
• Nevada labor law makes state ineligible for federal education stimulus funds [HTML 3,666kb]
  A six year-old Nevada law pushed by the state’s teachers union leaves the state ineligible to compete for millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding for education, says the Reno Gazette-Journal. The law prohibiting student achievement data from being used in teacher evaluations means the state can't enter the Obama administration's Race to the Top, a $4.3 billion competition for states willing to take sweeping action to turn around failing schools.
  
• Texas district plans to use stimulus funds for diversity training [HTML 1,755kb]
  According to the Dallas Morning News, Garland Independent School District (GISD) will spend $500,000 of its roughly $21 million in federal stimulus money on diversity training. "We're training everyone," Assistant Superintendent Phyllis Parker said, "from cafeteria workers to bus drivers."
  
• Rhode Island Supreme Court posed to decide pivotal school funding suit [HTML 3,966kb]
  According to the Providence Journal, the Rhode Island Supreme Court is considering a suit brought by Cranston School Committee against the Cranston City Council that is not only a budgetary dispute, but also could possibly involve the larger matter of how the court will interpret a law that raises the difficult question of how much a school district needs to spend to meet its legal, regulatory and contractual obligations.
  
• Education researchers charge ED’s draft guidelines for Title I stimulus funds lacks scientific basis for policies [HTML 6,617kb]
  Education Week reports that education researchers are criticizing the recently published draft guidelines for federal economic-stimulus money and Title I aid on the ground the policies lack solid research evidence.
  
• Florida district wins battle on imposition of school impact fees [HTML 2,381kb]
  The Ledger reports that Polk County School District (PCSD) has won its legal battle with the Polk County Builders Association (PCBA) over the imposition of school impact fees. The Florida Supreme Court, voting 4-2, decided not to hear the PCBA appeal.
  
• Ohio Supreme Court’s ruling on slot machines could jeopardize state funding of schools [HTML 1,980kb]
  The Ohio Supreme Court ruling that the state governor Ted Strickland’s slot machine plan is subject to a potential referendum could negatively impact funding for the state’s public schools, reports the Dayton Daily News.
  
• Charter advocacy group’s suits seeking equalization of state funding for all public schools including charters [HTML 1,856kb]
  The Arizona Republic reports that The Arizona Charter Schools Association (ACA) has filed two lawsuits on behalf of families with children in charter schools against the state.
  
• Missouri court reject districts’ suit over county’s property assessment practices [HTML 1,159kb]
  KMBC-TV Kansas City reports that a Jackson County judge has dismissed a lawsuit by 11 school districts challenging the way the county assesses property values.
  
• New York settles False Claims Act case over improper Medicaid reimbursements [HTML 4,157kb]
  New York state school districts will not be able to submit claims for Medicaid services for a period of time in the wake of a record-setting settlement between the state and the U.S. Department of Justice, which claimed that more than $1 billion worth of claims were false.
  
• Obama administration announces “Race to the Top” and other big reform grants [HTML 7,266kb]
  The rush is on for $4.35 billion in “Race to the Top” grants, targeted to leverage historic reforms in U.S. public schools, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
  
• FTA withdraws controversial proposed rule on bus routes, for now [HTML 2,368kb]
  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has withdrawn its proposed rule on school bus operations because of a “public misperception” that FTA was attempting to restrict opportunities for grantees, when according to FTA, it was attempting to allow grantees to provide service historically allowed.
  
• ED issues ARRA guidance on waivers of Title I requirements and IDEA funding, announces ARRA web conferences [HTML 5,937kb]
  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has (1) issued draft guidance regarding waivers under ARRA of certain NCLB requirements, of Title I, Part A rules, and of “maintenance of effort” (MOE) rules; (2) issued guidance on stimulus funding and MOE requirements under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and (3) announced a series of technical assistance web conferences on ARRA implementation.
  
• Washington Supreme Court to decide constitutionality of state’s school funding scheme [HTML 2,333kb]
  The state Supreme Court heard arguments last week on whether the amount of state money being distributed to school districts is equitable, and whether the disparity between some districts violates the Washington Constitution, says the Tacoma News Tribune.
  
• New Jersey law on 60% voter approval to exceed school budget cap challenged [HTML 2,428kb]
  The Daily Record in Parsipanny, New Jersey, reports that Denville Township school board member Alfred Gellene and a group of township residents have filed suit against Morris County claiming the 60 percent supermajority required to approve second questions in school elections violates the equal protection clauses of both the state and federal constitutions.
  
• California launches digital textbook initiative [HTML 3,319kb]
  Government Technology reports that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the launch of the California Digital Textbooks Initiative that he say will make the state the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.
  
• Wisconsin districts may be required to foot cost of transporting pregnant students [HTML 1,882kb]
  An Associated Press article carried in the Green Bay Press Gazette says that Wisconsin school districts would be forced to pay to transport pregnant students under a little known provision added to the state budget.
  
• Kansas districts considering suing state over lack of school funding [HTML 1,658kb]
  The Salina Journal reports that school officials in Kansas may sue the state for its failure to provide the districts with sufficient funding. Salina Superintendent Rob Winter said that representatives from several districts will meet in July to discuss how to confront the Legislature, which has cut school funding by $21 million this year.
  
• South Carolina high court to rule soon on stimulus stand-off [HTML 2,468kb]
  The South Carolina Supreme Court’s chief justice promised the court would render a decision in two cases against Gov. Mark Sanford within a day or two, says the Anderson Independent-Mail News.
  
• South Carolina high court to rule soon on stimulus stand-off [HTML 2,468kb]
  The South Carolina Supreme Court’s chief justice promised the court would render a decision in two cases against Gov. Mark Sanford within a day or two, says the Anderson Independent-Mail News.
  
• Arkansas Supreme Court hears arguments in school funding suit [HTML 2,744kb]
  The attorney for 14 school districts has argued before the state’s highest court that the state is illegally exacting local property taxes to reduce its financial contribution to Arkansas’ public education system, says the Arkansas News.
  
• California rejection of ballot measures ominous for schools [HTML 2,227kb]
  After voters rejected ballot measures this week that would have restored state funding for schools, the Los Angeles Times writes, educators across California are bracing for $5.3 billion in cuts over the next 13 months.
  
• Arkansas Supreme Court to hear arguments in school funding suit [HTML 1,860kb]
  The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports that the state supreme court will hear oral arguments on May 21 in a lawsuit by 14 school districts accusing the state of violating the state constitution by relying too much on local property taxes for funding schools.
  
• Two California school employee unions file school funding suit [HTML 1,671kb]
  The San Jose Mercury News reports that two school employee unions have filed a lawsuit against the state of California, arguing that the state must repay schools billions of dollars it's taking away, and sooner than other funding schemes would allow.
  
• HHS to rescind rule cutting Medicaid reimbursement for schools [HTML 3,074kb]
  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a proposed rescission of its December 2007 final rule that would have prohibited federal reimbursement for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)-related administrative and transportation costs for Medicaid-eligible students.
  
• South Carolina legislature votes to force governor to take federal stimulus funds [HTML 2,531kb]
  The Associated Press reports that the South Carolina legislature has voted to force Gov. Mark Sanford to take $350 million in federal stimulus cash that he has refused to request unless it is used to pare down state debt.
  
• South Carolina’s AG will not oppose student’s suit over rejection of stimulus money [HTML 2,265kb]
  According to the State, Attorney General Henry McMaster said in a response filed this week that he did not object to the South Carolina Supreme Court taking up the suit without it going through lower courts.
  
• Arizona faces class action suit over budget cuts to programs for disabled students [HTML 1,548kb]
  According to the Arizona Republic, advocates for children with disabilities have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the state Department of Economic Security (DES), adding to the rising tide of legal action against recent budget cuts.
  
• U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Arizona ELL funding case [HTML 4,352kb]
  The Arizona Republic reports that the 17-year-old dispute over the way Arizona funds English language instruction to non-native speakers appears to have split the U.S. Supreme Court, just as it has the state's top politicians, along ideological lines.
  
• ED releases funding and guidance on Impact Act, McKinney-Vento [HTML 1,311kb]
  The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced that an additional $108.8 million in funding is now available to states under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the federal stimulus measure.
  
• Massachusetts district enforces residency requirement for budget reasons [HTML 2,980kb]
  Milton Superintendent Mary Gormley has decided to devote time and resources to enforce residency requirements because of the budget crunch, says the Boston Globe.
  
• Missouri legislature considers cap on school funding [HTML 6,734kb]
  The Springfield News-Leader reports the state Senate Ways and Means Committee is considering a bill, HJR 23, that would implement a government spending limit based on inflation and population growth.
  
• First round of federal stimulus funds released [HTML 5,846kb]
  The Associated Press reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has released the first $44 billion in economic stimulus money directed to schools but said strings will be attached to the next round of aid.
  
• Education groups file Supreme Court brief in ELL funding case [HTML 3,719kb]
  NSBA, joined by the Arizona School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, and the Arizona Education Association, has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Horne et al. v. Flores, Nos. 08-289/08-294, a case about whether Arizona’s current funding English Language Learner (ELL) programs violates the federal Equal Educational Opportunity Act (EEOA).
  
• Federal stimulus funds may not be going where needs are greatest [HTML 2,088kb]
  Because Washington is using a tangle of well-worn federal funding formulas to dispense stimulus funding to schools, the New York Times writes, some districts that are well off will find themselves swimming in cash, while some that are struggling may get too little to avoid cutbacks.
  
• Oakland school board sues state superintendent over charter school funds [HTML 2,382kb]
  The Oakland school board has sued State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, saying he violated state law and financial common sense when he gave city charter schools $450,000 out of the district's bank account, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
  
• City of Atlanta not entitled to part of tax revenue for schools… maybe [HTML 2,026kb]
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia Supreme Court, citing procedural errors, has reversed a superior court decision that had ordered Fulton Tax Commissioner Arthur Ferdinand to give part of school revenue directly to the city, not the Atlanta school system.
  
• North Carolina bill would force district mergers [HTML 4,144kb]
  A proposed state law could force the Asheville City and Buncombe County school districts to consolidate, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.
  
• Texas may put “65 Percent Solution” experiment out of its misery [HTML 3,368kb]
  The Austin American-Statesman reports that lawmakers may scrap the state’s 4-year-old mandate that schools spend at least 65% of their money on classroom instruction.
  
• ED issues guidance on federal stimulus funds for schools [HTML 2,405kb]
  The New York Times reports that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has sent an e-mail message to state education commissioners and thousands of school superintendents that provides the first broad guidelines for how the Education Department (ED) intends to channel $100 billion, which is part of President Obama’s economic stimulus package to the nation’s 14,000 school districts over the next few months.
  
• States, districts have until next week to challenge Census data [HTML 1,972kb]
  A review period ends on March 10, 2009 for state Title I directors or local school district officials to challenge U.S. Census estimates on population and poverty that are relied upon in determining federal education funding levels.
  
• More resources issued on stimulus funding, including facilities [HTML 2,060kb]
  NSBA’s Office of Advocacy has added a page of frequently asked questions (FAQs), below, to its Economic Stimulus Resource Center The federal stimulus legislation, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
  
• Michigan looking at school district mergers to reduce costs [HTML 3,431kb]
  The state education chief could order local school districts to merge if it can be shown the consolidation would save taxpayers at least 5 percent, under a preliminary proposal drawn up by a panel charged with finding new ways to streamline state government, says the Detroit News.
  
• California district bans teachers’ personal appliances to save electricity [HTML 1,509kb]
  As part of a new energy policy in the Glendale Unified School District, teachers must remove most personal appliances from their classrooms, according to the Los Angeles Times.
  
• More resources on stimulus measures available [HTML 1,348kb]
  The Department of Education (ED) has established a website section devoted to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (AARA), the federal stimulus legislation.
  
• North Dakota House passes landmark education bill [HTML 2,735kb]
  According to the Bismarck Tribune, the North Dakota House has passed a $110 million landmark education bill, creating new graduation standards and career counseling for high school students, among other measures.
  
• Arizona state superintendent proposes cutting ELL programs [HTML 2,800kb]
  Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has recommended that the state legislature slash more than $30 million in funding to teach English to students who aren't fluent, according to the Arizona Republic.
  
• Stimulus funds could transform federal role in education [HTML 3,973kb]
  President Barack Obama wants to do more than save teachers' jobs or renovate classrooms with his economic recovery bill, the Associated Press writes. He wants to transform the federal government's role in education.
  
• Court orders Alaska to improve quality of education in rural schools [HTML 3,023kb]
  The Anchorage Daily News reports that Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason has ruled that the State of Alaska continues to deny students in struggling rural schools the education they are guaranteed under the Alaska Constitution.
  
• House and Senate stimulus deal would fund school renovations [HTML 1,962kb]
  Senate and House negotiators have agreed on a compromise, $789 billion economic stimulus bill that includes some funding for school modernization, a priority item for President Obama and House Democrats, eSchool News writes.
  
• NH school board puts kindergarten question to voters while challenging state law [HTML 2,677kb]
  The residents of Hudson, New Hampshire will go to the polls in March to decide whether their school district will fund kindergarten starting the 2009-10 school year, reports NH.com.
  
• Georgia Attorney General says district school funding coalition is illegal [HTML 2,225kb]
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia Attorney General’s office has issued an opinion that concludes that an organization created by a group of rural public schools for the purpose of challenging the state’s system of funding public education is illegal.
  
• Illinois district audited by feds for misuse of funds [HTML 3,045kb]
  Harvey Public Schools District 152 (HPS152) stands accused of misusing or not properly accounting for more than $283,000 in federal money, says the Chicago Tribune.
  
• Debate commences over strings attached to federal stimulus fund [HTML 6,087kb]
  The Christian Science Monitor reports that the economic stimulus bills, which contain a $140 billion boost for education is only part short-term stimulus, intended to create jobs via school renovation projects and to prevent massive teacher layoffs in the face of state and local budget deficits.
  
• NSBA joins brief in Missouri finance case [HTML 1,902kb]
  NSBA has joined the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA), Education Justice at Education Law Center, and the Rural Schools and Community Trust in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of Missouri in the school funding case of Committee for Educational Equality v. State of Missouri.
  
• Stimulus package could profoundly shape federal role in education [HTML 5,244kb]
  The New York Times writes that the economic stimulus plan being considered by Congress would shower the nation’s school districts, child care centers, and university campuses with $150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget.
  
• Georgia state board to allow larger classes [HTML 1,789kb]
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia State Board of Education has approved a cost saving measure that will allow public schools in the state to increase the number of students in most elementary and middle school classes by two children next school year.
  
• Proposed federal stimulus package would aid school districts [HTML 4,048kb]
  An article in Florida’s Cape Coral Daily Breeze says the proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) could spell financial relief for school districts across the nation that have felt the pinch from dropping state revenues and a stagnant economy.
  
• Sublette County Sch. Dist. No. Nine v. McBride, No. S-08-0073 (Wyo. Dec. 19, 2008) [HTML 3,799kb]
  The Supreme Court of Wyoming has ruled that a 2006 state constitutional amendment intended to address local funding disparities among school districts permitted, but did not require, the state legislature to redistribute any school district property taxes collected locally in excess of the statewide average of such revenues to less affluent school districts.
  
• Utah legislature considers redistributing school funding [HTML 3,170kb]
  A bill to “equalize” funding for public schools statewide has cleared its first hurdle in the Utah legislature, when it narrowly won endorsement from the Revenue Taxation and Interim Committee.
  
• Miami-Dade board sues state to recoup lost property tax revenue [HTML 2,919kb]
  The Miami Herald says the Miami-Dade School Board has voted to sue the State of Florida, hoping to recoup $34.7 million in funding it alleges was improperly withheld.
  
• Supreme Court to hear Arizona ELL funding cases [HTML 5,320kb]
  The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to step into a long-running lawsuit in Arizona over funding for services to English-language learners (ELL), Education Week writes.
  
• Obama: Federal stimulus plan to address school facilities needs [HTML 4,688kb]
  Barack Obama probably cannot fix every leaky roof and busted boiler in the nation's schools, says an Associated Press article posted on the website of CBS News.
  
• Rules clarified on federal property and Federal Impact Aid [HTML 1,046kb]
  The Department of Education has amended regulations governing the Impact Aid program under the No Child Left Behind Act.
  
• Indiana Supreme Court hears arguments in funding adequacy case [HTML 1,764kb]
  An Associated Press story carried by the Indianapolis Star reports that the Indiana Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in a suit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s system of funding public schools.
  
• Montana court rejects districts’ request for additional funds in finance suit [HTML 3,078kb]
  Montana's public schools suffered their first major loss in a 5-year-old court case challenging state funding, as a state judge declined to order any form of additional funding "relief," reports the Billings Gazette.
  
• Montana court rejects districts’ request for additional funds in finance suit [HTML 3,078kb]
  Montana's public schools suffered their first major loss in a 5-year-old court case challenging state funding, as a state judge declined to order any form of additional funding "relief," reports the Billings Gazette.
  
• Educators have suggestion for economic stimulus [HTML 2,607kb]
  Cleveland’s WKYC-TV 3 reports that the Olmsted Falls City School District in Ohio is asking for $100 million dollars in federal bailout money.
  
• New Jersey Supreme Court orders fact-finding on state’s school funding formula [HTML 3,076kb]
  The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the New Jersey Supreme Court has ordered fact-finding hearings on the state's new education-funding formula before the justices will rule on whether it should permanently replace the old system that favored 31 largely poor, urban school districts, known as Abbott districts.
  
• New York parents sue state for more funds for small city school districts [HTML 2,482kb]
  The Post-Journal in Jamestown, New York, reports that the parents of students in 10 school districts, through the New York State Association of Small City School Districts (NYSASCSD), are suing the State of New York, claiming that the state has inadequately funded schools over the years.
  
• California districts slow to disburse funds from Microsoft class action suit [HTML 1,691kb]
  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that nearly $200 million of a $250 grant for new computers, software, and training that came from the $1.1 billion settlement of a class-action anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft, has remained unspent by California school districts.
  
• Board challenges Mississippi law requiring sharing of property tax revenue [HTML 1,997kb]
  According to the Mississippi Press, the Pascagoula School Board and the city of Pascagoula have filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the constitutionality of a 2007 Mississippi law that requires the Pascagoula school district to share Chevron Refinery Pascagoula property taxes generated from expansions with school districts in Moss Point, Ocean Springs and Jackson County.
  
• Wisconsin school districts suffer from risky investments [HTML 3,859kb]
  The New York Times reports that five Wisconsin schools boards are among hundreds of cities and government agencies are facing economic turmoil in a financial fiasco that has ricocheted globally.
  
• Cleveland schools face deep cuts, despite state safeguard on enrollment decline [HTML 3,681kb]
  Cleveland school officials say they will have to cut $18 million from the budget in the next year and may have to slash up to 4½ times that much if the slumping state reduces aid, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  
• Court ruling allows Dallas district to float bonds while civil rights suit proceeds [HTML 2,110kb]
  The Dallas Morning News reports that a Texas state court has ruled that the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) may proceed with the selling of $1.3 billion in school construction bonds.
  
• Colorado ballot amendment would create education savings account with surplus tax revenues [HTML 2,505kb]
  The Vail Daily reports that the Eagle County school board is supporting Amendment 59, which will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot and would create a savings account for Colorado schools to be used during tough economic times.
  
• Georgia governor questions legality of districts funding finance suit [HTML 3,206kb]
  Gov. Sonny Perdue has asked Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker for a legal opinion on the legality of local school districts using taxpayer dollars to fund a lawsuit against the state over education funding, reports the Cedartown Standard.
  
• Senate bailout bill would restore timber funding for rural schools [HTML 1,727kb]
  An Associated Press story in the Seattle Times reports that a financial rescue plan approved by the Senate includes a plan to extend a program that pays rural counties hurt by federal logging cutbacks.
  
• FCC seeks comments on oversight of E-Rate program [HTML 2,376kb]
  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Notice of Inquiry on proposed measures to strengthen the management, administration, and oversight of the federal Universal Service Fund (USF), how to define its goals more clearly, and to identify any additional quantifiable performance measures that may be necessary or desirable.
  
• Milwaukee school board votes to dissolve school district [HTML 3,732kb]
  Following a 6-3 vote by the Milwaukee School Board to explore the dissolving of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), Governor Jim Doyle has called for “a complete evaluation of exactly where MPS is” as a first step toward any action by state government to do more for Milwaukee schools or change the way the school system is run, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  
• New Jersey supreme court again considers school funding scheme [HTML 4,133kb]
  The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the New Jersey Supreme Court has heard arguments in the litigation over whether the state’s new method of doling out support to public schools should be upheld.
  
• House votes to pull plug on "Secure Rural Schools" program [HTML 2,807kb]
  The Associated Press reports that the House of Representatives has rejected a Senate-backed measure extending a multiyear program of payments to rural counties hurt by federal logging cutbacks.
  
• Tennessee school boards weigh in on four-day week, fiscal independence [HTML 4,355kb]
  As part of a legislative survey to guide its advocacy, the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) is asking school board members across the state to indicate if they would be in favor of changes in Tennessee law to implement four-day school days by lengthening the school day to about eight hours, the Kingsport Times-News reports.
  
• Arizona appeals Ninth Circuit ruling on ELL students to U.S. Supreme Court [HTML 2,305kb]
  Education Week reports that the Arizona legislature has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to review the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Flores v. Arizona rejecting the state legislature’s 2006 effort to comply with an eight year old U.S. District Court order for adequate funding of English Language Learner (ELL) programs.
  
• Court upholds Arizona exit exams in school funding challenge [HTML 3,420kb]
  The Yuma Sun reports that Arizona judge Judge John Buttrick has rejected a suit seeking to block the state from using the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test as a requirement for graduation.
  
• FCC considers expanding technology eligible for E-rate funding [HTML 831kb]
  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks comment on whether the following services should be eligible for funding under the E-rate program, which supports technology in schools and libraries: filtering software, a broader classification of basic telephone service, dark fiber, text messaging, firewall service, anti-virus/anti-spam software, scheduling services, telephone broadcast messaging, and certain wireless Internet access applications.
  
• Maryland court orders misleading slot machine ballot language revised [HTML 2,818kb]
  A state court has ruled that the proposed ballot language for Maryland’s November's slot-machine referendum is “misleading,” reports the Baltimore Sun. However, the panel of judges concluded the error could be fixed by adding a single word to clarify that state education programs are not the sole recipients of anticipated revenues.
  
• Funding equity lawsuit charges Illinois system unfair to minority students [HTML 2,565kb]
  The Chicago Tribune reports that the Chicago Urban League (CUL) has filed a lawsuit in state court against Illinois and the State Board of Education alleging the Illinois education funding system is unconstitutional because it discriminates against African-American and Hispanic students.
  
• Illinois funding formula to address emergency closings [HTML 1,688kb]
  The News-Gazette of Urbana reports that Illinois has enacted a law that will guarantee that schools forced to close because of health or safety emergencies, such as a death threat or a tornado, will not lose a portion of their state aid because of that missed day.
  
• Florida “tax swap” ballot amendment struck down [HTML 2,914kb]
  Tallahassee’s CBS4.com reports that a Florida circuit court judge has ruled than an amendment proposal that would swap property tax cuts for increases in other taxes should be taken off the November ballot.
  
• Georgia school funding suit to go to trial [HTML 2,176kb]
  The Athens Banner-Herald reports that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Long has denied the state's motion to dismiss lawsuit charging the state with spending too little on education.
  
• NJ lawsuit seeks to halt state borrowing for new school construction [HTML 3,302kb]
  According to the Newark Star-Ledger, conservative activist and possible New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Steven Lonegan has filed a lawsuit challenging that state’s plan to borrow $3.9 billion to build dozens of new schools around the state.
  
• Elimination of school Medicaid reimbursements delayed [HTML 970kb]
  President Bush has signed a War Supplemental Appropriations Bill that includes a provision delaying the implementation of Medicaid regulations that would eliminate certain transportation and administration reimbursements to schools for services provided to low-income students with disabilities.
  
• PA’s increase in basic school funding to be distributed to districts based on adequacy formula [HTML 4,221kb]
  As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania’s Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a state budget that includes an increase in basic education funding, which represents the largest dollar increase in the program since 1991.
  
• GA seeks dismissal of school funding suit [HTML 2,351kb]
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Georgia is seeking dismissal of a suit brought in 2004 by a group of 51 mostly rural school districts that alleges a lack of state money has caused low student achievement.
  
• Memphis City Council counter sues district over debt-service bonds [HTML 3,366kb]
  Last month the Memphis City Schools (MCS) filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis because the city council voted to cut $66.2 million from the district's operating budget.
  
• 2005 Kansas supreme court ruling on school funding pays off [HTML 2,576kb]
  The Topeka Capitol-Journal reports that after the 2005 Kansas Supreme Court ruling mandating a giant increase in school funding, the Tecumseh school district was one of the numerous districts that added or expanded their all-day kindergarten programs.
  
• Memphis scene of showdown over school funding [HTML 3,254kb]
  The Memphis Daily News reports that after the Memphis City Council voted 10-3 to cut city funding to the city school system by about $70 million, Memphis City Schools filed a lawsuit against the City of Memphis.
  
• Lawsuit claims Alabama property tax caps racially discriminatory [HTML 3,151kb]
  In a case that could have far-reaching consequences for Alabama's education and tax system, parents in two Black Belt counties have sued the state in federal court, claiming caps on property taxes are a form of racial discrimination that prevents their children from receiving an adequate education.
  
• U.S. Supreme Court upholds municipal bond tax exemption [HTML 1,859kb]
  The $2.5 trillion municipal bond market skirted a land mine Monday when the Supreme Court ruled that states could continue to give special tax breaks on the bonds that fund hospitals, roads, schools and other services.
  
• Strings attached to California state funding impede school board flexibility [HTML 2,511kb]
  The decisions forced upon local school districts by a potential 10% cut in California’s education spending aren't the product of local administrators' priorities but of a thicket of school funding laws that dictate how state and federal money gets spent.
  
• Alaska increases funding for rural schools and disabled students [HTML 1,817kb]
  Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers have gone ahead with an overhaul of Alaska’s school funding system that supporters predict will provide much-needed financial help to rural schools and those serving students with disabilities.
  
• Ninth Circuit refuses to reconsider its ruling in Arizona’s ELL funding suit [HTML 2,968kb]
  Next stop in the legal battle over the state's English-learner program: The U.S. Supreme Court. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said that in the wake of a denial from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he intends to take the case to the nation's top court.
  
• U.S House votes against Medicaid cuts [HTML 1,552kb]
  A veto-proof majority of the U.S. House voted to block seven Medicaid regulations issued by the Bush administration that would cut federal payments to states by $33 billion during the next decade.
  
• Latest Arizona ELL funding bill becomes law without gov’s signature [HTML 4,055kb]
  Gov. Janet Napolitano let a bill that allocates an additional $40 million for English instruction become law without her signature Monday, expressing concern that the state still has unfinished business on the matter.
  
• Passage of Nebraska school finance legislation ends lawsuit [HTML 4,170kb]
  The five-year court battle over school finance drew to a quick end after a series of events that included a new state aid system being established and the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) declaring that Nebraska is giving new attention to disadvantaged students.
  
• Michigan districts look to pool employee health benefits, other costs [HTML 2,593kb]
  A parent group from western Fairfax County announced that it is seeking a legal order to reverse a School Board decision to reroute thousands of students among five high schools in coming years.
  
• NY commission charged with developing property tax cap [HTML 6,015kb]
  Thomas R. Suozzi can understand people's skepticism about a new statewide commission charged with finding a way to cap property taxes.
  
• Federal attempts to shift Medicaid costs threaten schools [HTML 4,722kb]
  A planned cut in Medicaid funding could cost Florida’s Pasco County School District about $1.2 million, district officials say.
  
• Federal attempts to shift Medicaid costs threaten schools [HTML 4,680kb]
  A planned cut in Medicaid funding could cost Florida’s Pasco County School District about $1.2 million, district officials say.
  
• Utah state board of education urges veto of spending, NCLB bills [HTML 3,307kb]
  The Utah State Board of Education has urged Governor Jon M. Huntsman to veto a bill requiring outside approval for expensive federal programs and to look at exercising line-item veto power over the school's $2.5 billion budget.
  
• Collapse of auction-rate bond market affects some school districts [HTML 2,732kb]
  California, Florida schools, and the owner of John F. Kennedy International Airport joined a growing list of municipal borrowers exiting the U.S. auction-rate bond market as record failures push taxpayer costs higher.
  
• New Jersey high court: No deadline for construction funds [HTML 2,777kb]
  The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to set a deadline for state government to provide money to continue a court-mandated program to upgrade school facilities.
  
• N.H. again considers constitutional amendment over school funding [HTML 2,321kb]
  Handing a victory to New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment on education funding.
  
• Ninth Circuit: Arizona ELL funding not compliant [HTML 4,544kb]
  A federal appeals panel has ruled that English-language instruction law is so flawed that it "may well retard or reverse whatever progress has been" made in the instruction of more than 134,000 Arizona children who are struggling to learn English.
  
• Montana school advocates seek court answer on funding [HTML 3,496kb]
  A petition filed in the First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County seeks an answer from the State of Montana about whether court mandates pertaining to funding for education have been satisfied.
  
• Ohio high court gas pipeline ruling a relief to school districts [HTML 1,684kb]
  The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. to reduce the property taxes the natural gas pipeline company pays to local governments and local school districts in the counties where it has operations in Ohio.
  
• Kindergarten fees raise legal questions in several states [HTML 4,435kb]
  Oregon lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow school districts to continue charging fees for full-day kindergarten—in light of the state attorney general’s recent ruling that said districts don’t have authority under state law to collect the tuition.
  
• Virginia may study giving school boards power to levy taxes [HTML 3,197kb]
  A few bills introduced in this year's General Assembly by delegates of both parties aim to resurrect the contentious issue of whether elected school boards in Virginia should have the power to levy taxes.
  
• Florida property tax measure likely to hit school budgets; eyes on state [HTML 4,013kb]
  Florida voters have given their resounding approval to a constitutional amendment that overhauls the state's property tax laws and saves the average homeowner $240 a year.
  
• Study says poor districts get less funding [HTML 2,679kb]
  In most states, school districts with the most low-income students or the most minority students get the least public funding, a new report by the Education Trust, a Washington D.C.-based education think tank, says.
  
• Connecticut education leaders give state lawmakers an earful [HTML 3,829kb]
  Danbury, Connecticut area educators have criticized state legislators in a meeting for passing laws without considering the cost to school districts.
  
• California state officials propose big education agendas, little money [HTML 5,358kb]
  Even though California schools could lose millions in funding next year, the state's education system can be improved through streamlined preschool and other low-cost efforts to close the achievement gap, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell says.
  
• CMS eliminates payment for school-based administrative and transportation activities [HTML 1,502kb]
  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) of the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final rule eliminating federal Medicaid payment for the cost of certain school-based administrative and transportation activities.
  
• Wyoming Supreme Court rules state funding system constitutional [HTML 1,918kb]
  The Wyoming Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s system of funding public education meets its state constitutional duty to provide a “thorough and efficient education.”
  
• Georgia House Speaker pushes to end property taxes [HTML 4,707kb]
  Drop it and they will come. Those six words could serve as the motto for Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson and his followers who are pushing to end property taxes in the Peach State.
  
• Judge will make North Carolina pay public schools an estimated $700 million [HTML 2,344kb]
  Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning has indicated he will make the State of North Carolina pay public schools an estimated $700 million in revenue collected from civil penalties over part of a five-year period.
  
• South Dakota's school-aid formula has cost almost $1 million to defend [HTML 3,104kb]
  A lawsuit over South Dakota's school-aid formula has cost almost $1 million to defend so far, Gov. Mike Rounds says. Rounds told legislators during his budget message that the lawsuit, brought by a group of parents of school children, has cost $948,750.
  
• Court suggests parties in Arizona's battle over English-language instruction try mediation [HTML 4,421kb]
  Warring factions in Arizona’s legal battle over English-language instruction went to court looking for resolution?and got a suggestion that they hold their own peace talks on the controversial matter.
  
• Coalition of California school districts sues state over finances [HTML 2,817kb]
  A coalition of California school districts has filed suit against the state, saying lawmakers have used schools like a credit card for years by charging up a $1 billion debt that is long overdue.
  
• Arizona Republicans seek to overturn ruling on changes to English Language Learning programs [HTML 4,848kb]
  Lawyers for Republican legislative leaders in Arizona are asking the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals to overturn a trial judge's ruling last March that changes made to Arizona's English Language Learning programs and funding don't satisfy a 1974 federal mandate for equal educational opportunities for English-learning students.
  
• School districts prepare to file suit against county over $30 million loss from sales tax cut [HTML 2,303kb]
  Monroe County, New York’s, suburban school districts are prepared to file a lawsuit against the county over its plans to cut districts' sales tax revenue in half to pay Medicaid costs, which translates to a loss of $30 million annually for the school districts.
  
• E-Rate fraud [HTML 2,284kb]
  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a final rule regarding measures to safeguard the Universal Service Fund (USF) from waste, fraud, and abuse.
  
• Florida Supreme Court revises recent ruling requiring voter approval for two types of borrowing [HTML 3,271kb]
  The Florida Supreme Court has revised its recent ruling requiring counties to obtain voter approval for two types of borrowing. The high court made it clear the referendum requirement applies only to future and not existing tax increment financed bonds.
  
• School districts cannot make parents pay for all-day kindergarten [HTML 3,637kb]
  Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has issued an opinion that school districts cannot make parents pay for all-day kindergarten.
  
• Missouri state judge deals blow to a massive school funding lawsuit [HTML 2,977kb]
  A Missouri state judge has dealt yet another blow to a massive school funding lawsuit, saying he believes Missouri is exceeding a state constitutional obligation to spend 25% of its budget on education.
  
• Columbus, Ohio, mayoral candidate claims school district is shortchanging students [HTML 2,460kb]
  Columbus, Ohio, Republican mayoral candidate William M. Todd has filed a lawsuit in state court on behalf of five taxpayers against the Columbus school board, the Ohio Department of Education, the state Board of Education, and state schools Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman, claiming the school district is shortchanging some of its students.
  
• $3.2 million loss in state funding for California district [HTML 2,353kb]
  California’s Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) has announced it will lose $3.2 million in state funding because it overstated the number of special education students enrolled in its summer school programs.
  
• Florida Supreme Court ruling could jeopardize new school construction [HTML 2,439kb]
  A recent Florida Supreme Court ruling could jeopardize how school districts pay for new construction. The ruling basically ruled it was unconstitutional for Escambia County to commit future property-tax revenues to paying off a road-widening project without a countywide referendum.
  
• Medicaid reimbursement [HTML 2,295kb]
  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a proposed rule that would eliminate federal Medicaid payments for administrative activities performed by school districts and transportation from home to school and back for school-aged children with individualized education programs (IEPs) established pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
  
• Arkansas report: $170 million a year spent on services to immigrants [HTML 2,514kb]
  A report prepared for Arkansas legislators concludes the state spends $170 million a year on services to immigrants, including about $154 million for education.
  
• Massachusetts district eliminates athletics after voters reject property tax increase [HTML 1,778kb]
  Voters in Stoneham, Massachusetts rejected a $3 million property tax increase, which resulted in the Stoneham School Committee (SSC) eliminating all 54 coaching positions, the athletic director's job, and the elementary and middle school arts and music programs.
  
• Texas school districts challenging finance system awarded $4.2 million in legal fees [HTML 2,782kb]
  Hundreds of Texas school districts that successfully challenged Texas’ school finance system have scored a follow-up victory when a state appeals court awarded them $4.2 million in legal fees.
  
• New Hampshire set to meet deadline for defining adequate education [HTML 2,984kb]
  The State of New Hampshire is set to meet a court-ordered July 1 deadline for defining an adequate education, after lawmakers agreed to a compromise proposal.
  
• New Hampshire amendment to target school aid fails to pass [HTML 3,697kb]
  A proposed state constitutional amendment that would have given New Hampshire more flexibility to target school aid to the neediest communities has failed to pass in the state Senate by one vote.
  
• Idaho districts sue Idaho’s supreme court justices [HTML 4,147kb]
  A group of school districts has taken the unprecedented step of suing Idaho’s supreme court justices in federal court for ruling in favor of the districts in a school funding lawsuit but not providing any fix.
  
• Coalition of Kentucky school districts drops finance lawsuit [HTML 2,051kb]
  A coalition of Kentucky school districts is dropping a lawsuit designed to force state lawmakers to spend more money on schools. The Council for Better Education (CBE) filed a suit in 2003 against the state, claiming funding of Kentucky's schools is “inadequate and arbitrarily determined by the legislature.”
  
• South Dakota Attorney General calls for audit of districts challenging state finance system [HTML 3,176kb]
  South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long is calling for a state audit of about 70 school districts and the South Dakota Coalition of Schools (SDCS) to determine whether they are illegally funding a lawsuit that challenges the state's school financing system.
  
• Arizona Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of lower court finance rulings [HTML 707kb]
  On April 17, 2007, the Arizona Supreme Court declined without comment to hear an appeal of lower court rulings against school districts whose lawsuit demanded that the state provide more money for educating poor children.
  
• Houston Independent School District posts its check registries online [HTML 2,782kb]
  Houston Independent School District (HISD) has become the latest Houston area school system to allow the world to see how much it pays architects, law firms, supply stores, and other vendors by posting its check registries online.
  
• Judge throws out lawsuit brought by Indiana State Teacher Association over school finance [HTML 2,166kb]
  An Indiana state court judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by the Indiana State Teacher Association (ISTA) against the state over how much money is set aside for schools, specifically for students who are poor, disabled, and learning English as a second language.
  
• Legislators struggle to meet the conflicting demands of residents [HTML 4,501kb]
  It’s difficult to have both lower property taxes and local control of schools, as legislators around the nation are discovering as they struggle to meet the conflicting demands of residents who want both the best for their children and the most for their money.
  
• Trial begins in Missouri in suit challenging state’s public school financing scheme [HTML 3,565kb]
  Trial has begun in a Missouri state court in a suit brought by the Committee for Educational Equality (CEE) challenging the state’s public school financing scheme.
  
• Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in Zuni Public School District No. 89 v. Department of Education [HTML 2,809kb]
  The Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in Zuni Public School District No. 89 v. Department of Education, Docket No. 05-1508, a case in which two New Mexico school districts contend that their federal impact aid payments are being unfairly usurped by their state under federal regulations for the program.
  
• District sues State of Washington, saying school finance system is unconstitutional [HTML 2,864kb]
  Federal Way School District has sued the State of Washington, saying the state’s formulas for school funding are unconstitutional and unfair.
  
• School districts in six states have been targeted with sweeping public records requests [HTML 4,527kb]
  School districts and local governments in six states have been targeted with sweeping public records requests from groups touting private property rights and limited government initiatives.
  
• Coalition of 13 Washington state school districts asks court to throw out the state's system of financing special education [HTML 2,464kb]
  A coalition of 13 school districts in the state of Washington has asked a state court to throw out the state's system of financing special education, saying more than 120,000 students are being shortchanged by Olympia.
  
• Supreme court grants review in New Mexico school finance case [HTML 2,129kb]
  The U.S. Supreme Court has granted review in Zuni Public School District No. 89 v. Department of Education, No. 05-1508, a case involving a challenge by the Gallup-McKinley County and Zuni school districts to New Mexico's public school funding formula and how it treats federal impact aid.
  
• Monroe County, New York intercepts public schools funds to pay for county Medicaid costs [HTML 2,237kb]
  Monroe County, New York has successfully sued all 54 government entities, including the public school systems, with which it shares the county sales tax revenue to shift that revenue to pay for county Medicaid costs.
  
• Pennsylvania legislation requires districts to form tax study commissions [HTML 3,067kb]
  As part of Pennsylvania’s new taxpayer relief legislation, school districts are required to form tax study commissions made up of five, seven, or nine residents.
  
• Court rejects Oklahoma Education Association's suit challenging the state’s school funding scheme [HTML 2,835kb]
  An Oklahoma district court has rejected a school funding suit brought by the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) against the State of Oklahoma challenging the state’s school funding scheme.
  
• Appeals court hears oral arguments in Arizona English language learner case [HTML 3,042kb]
  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has heard oral arguments in appeal by the State of Arizona of a federal district court's ruling that the state legislature's latest effort to fund English language learner (ELL) programs violates the state constitution's requirement to provide students with an adequate education.
  
• Many warn against Idaho finance plan using sales tax to fund education [HTML 2,246kb]
  School administrators, school board leaders, and some parents are warning against a new Idaho finance plan that would fund education through an increased sales tax, as opposed to property tax.
  
• Illinois State Board of Education demands that school district return grant money [HTML 2,176kb]
  The Illinois State Board of Education (IBOE) is demanding that West Harvey-Dixmoor Elementary School District 147 (WHDESD) return more than $2.2 million in federal and state grants, after an investigation concluded the money was either unaccounted for or misspent.
  
• Government leaders press California Public Employees' Retirement System to create fund for future retiree health benefits [HTML 2,511kb]
  Motivated by a change in accounting rules, city and county government leaders are pressing California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) to set up a fund in which their agencies would annually invest tens of millions of new dollars to cover future health benefits for retirees.
  
• New Jersey school districts seek to share services [HTML 4,266kb]
  In an effort to stretch their financial resources, some New Jersey school districts are seeking out neighboring districts to share services.
  
• New Jersey school board implements pay-to-participate extracurricular program [HTML 2,059kb]
  In response to a budget deficit, the East Brunswick, New Jersey school board has implemented a pay-to-participate program for athletics and extracurricular activities.
  
• Wyoming School Boards Association partially withdraws from finance suit [HTML 2,788kb]
  The Wyoming School Boards Association (WSBA) has partially withdrawn from the long-standing school finance lawsuit against the state after the Wyoming legislature provided enough funding to significantly raise teacher pay and improve instruction.
  
• Pennsylvania enacts law requiring voter approval to raise property taxes beyond inflation [HTML 3,824kb]
  Pennsylvania has enacted a law that requires local school boards to obtain voter approval to raise property taxes beyond the rate of inflation.