school funding Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Support outside of the classroom: how one western Washington school district aims to help families

By Lauren Gallup July 10, 2023

Attendees of Pan con Café sit with Blanca Sagastizado during a spring meeting. (Credit: Claudia Miller)

Just minutes away from busy Pacific Avenue in Pierce County, the Franklin Pierce School district administration office sits inside a nondescript, gray building. Inside, a group of women are gathered in a conference room Thursday morning, eating brightly colored Pan Dulce, laughing and sharing their trials and tribulations. Blanca Sagastizado, a family resource navigator Read More

Idaho Schools And Colleges Get A $313 Funding Boost, Thanks To Federal COVID Relief Funds

By NWPB News September 15, 2020

On Friday, Gov. Brad Little announced a plan to use $99 million in federal money to offset state cuts in K-12 spending. CREDIT: Sami Edge/Idaho EdNews

Gov. Brad Little announced a plan Friday to pump another $150 million of CARES Act money into supporting schools. If approved, that would push education-related CARES Act spending past the $300 million mark.Read More

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Loses Latest Fight Over Rerouting Aid To Private School Students

By NPR News September 12, 2020

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos backed a rule that would have increased private schools' share of CARES Act dollars from $127 million to $1.5 billion, according to one analysis. CREDIT: Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A federal judge says U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos overstepped in trying to send more CARES Act money to help students at private schools.Read More

Idaho Group Wins Permission To Collect Online Signatures For School Funding Initiative

By Doug Nadvornick July 10, 2020

The Moscow School District decided earlier in March to close schools after its spring break, after Idaho Gov. Brad Little declined a statewide closure. CREDIT: Architect21c at the English Wikipedia / GFDL gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html

Reclaim Idaho hopes to put its initiative on the November ballot. It would require the state to raise state income taxes for corporations and people who make more than $250,000 a year. The money would be routed to public schools.Read More

Idaho Group Advocating For Education Funding Requests Spot On November Ballot After Court Ruling

By NWPB News June 30, 2020

Reclaim Idaho suspended face-to-face signature gathering for the initiative on March 18, days after Idaho reported its first case of coronavirus. The group sued on June 8, saying that Gov. Brad Little and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney refused to provide the group an alternative path to pursuing a voter initiative during the pandemic.Read More

March 10 Idaho Election Much More Than Presidential Primary: 41 School District Levies Up For Vote

By NWPB News March 10, 2020

Voters wait in line as the polls open at Pierce Park Baptist Church in Boise, Idaho, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. CREDIT: Otto Kitsinger/AP

For some districts, the stakes are particularly high. A year ago, after a failed levy, Kamiah was forced to close its middle school. In other districts, the proposals are familiar, reruns of levies voters have approved for years. But the Nampa School District is taking a second run at a levy, four months after a proposal fell a scant 11 votes short of passing.Read More

Washington House Passes Bill For Free School Breakfast Funding

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa January 10, 2018

school breakfast on red tray stock image

The Washington House passed its first bill on the third day of this legislative session. It would require high poverty schools to offer breakfast after the start of the school day and is a priority for Democrats.Read More

Washington Supreme Court Tells Lawmakers To Find $1B More For Schools In 2018

By Austin Jenkins November 15, 2017

HARVEY BARRISON / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/ZHJ7UAE Listen Washington state lawmakers will likely have to come up with an extra $1 billion for schools when they convene in January for the […]Read More

McCleary Mom, Lawyer Say Washington Budget Falls Short On School Funding

By Austin Jenkins June 30, 2017

File photo. The Washington Supreme Court is likely to decide later this year whether the new budget adequately funds the state’s school system. AIDAN WAKELY-MULRONEY / FLICKR – TINYURL.COM/ZWJ3D3J Listen […]Read More

New State Property Tax Levy Will Fund Big Boost In School Funding

By Austin Jenkins June 29, 2017

Republican state Senators John Braun and Ann Rivers speak with reporters about the compromise state budget and tax plan to fully fund schools. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen […]Read More

Business Groups Target House Majority Leader Over Support Of Tax Plan In Olympia

By Austin Jenkins May 2, 2017

It’s a bold move by Washington Realtors and other business groups. They’re taking on the number two Democrat in the Washington House with a TV ad that accuses him of “squeezing” taxpayers.Read More

McCleary Lawyer: ‘Not A Lot Of Confidence’ Final Budget Will Solve School Funding

By Austin Jenkins April 19, 2017

Washington state Senate Republicans and House Democrats are at loggerheads over how to fund schools. Republicans want to replace local school levies with a new state property tax levy. Democrats want a new capital gains tax to generate more money for schools.Read More