Killeen ISD’s Post

As New York's lawmakers continue budget negotiations, help us send a clear message: This year, we cannot compromise on universal school meals. More than 320,000 kids in nearly 660 New York schools still cannot access universal no-cost school meals. A patchwork approach that provides free school meals to some—but not all—children is not enough. Determining access to free school meals based on income is a flawed system that leaves students behind. We do not ask students to provide their household income for buses, books, or school-issued technology. The same should be true for school meals. Anything less than a full universal policy undermines the culture of inclusivity that New York’s schools strive to create. The only way to ensure equitable access to school meals is also the simplest solution: Feed all the kids. Call TODAY to tell Governor Kathy Hochul, Carl Heastie, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and state lawmakers to fully fund #Meals4AllNY in the final state budget: bit.ly/HSMFANY-ActNow 

Today is the virtual 💻 MPS Budget Action Session. Meetings will be from 12:00–1:00 p.m. and 5:30–6:30 p.m. Please register online in advance for virtual meetings. https://mpsmke.com/3NhfgXI Help address the funding shortfall for public education! Wisconsin public schools are facing budget concerns because of insufficient state funding. Had state funding kept pace with inflation, MPS would have more than $200 million in additional support annually. Also, students with disabilities, who make up 19% of the MPS student population, are significantly underfunded by the state by at least $50 million annually.

In his proposed budget, Gov. Phil Murphy included historic funding for most of New Jersey’s 600 school districts, which enroll about 1.1 million students. For the first time in state history, the requirements of the funding formula used to determine how much aid districts receive would be fully met. But 140 districts across the state would receive less funding than last year under the proposed spending plan. South Jersey districts including Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Haddon Township, Lenape Regional and Pitman are among those appealing to the Legislature, hoping to have millions in funding restored for the coming school year. They also want the state to change the formula used to calculate aid, which relies heavily upon property taxes. Under the proposed budget, here are the districts in Burlington County, Camden County, and Gloucester County that will receive less funding for the 2024-25 school year. https://lnkd.in/eAAfsXNW

Are you ready to respond to the most challenging budget season in more than a decade? Get prepared with a special webinar reviewing the Governor's January Budget Proposal and its implications for schools across California. Join CSBA on Thursday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m. to learn how California’s $68 billion state budget deficit will impact education funding and the budget planning process for LEAs. During the presentation, CSBA Governmental Relations staff will respond to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement, answer member questions on school funding, and review CSBA advocacy priorities for the 2024–25 state budget cycle including, but not limited to: • Protecting the local flexibility within the LCFF and maintaining LCFF funding levels • Supporting student mental health • Rebenching Prop 98 to support the full rollout of transitional kindergarten • Providing small districts and COEs additional flexibility to address their distinct needs • Helping LEAs address staffing shortages We'll see you there!

New York Library Association as provided by Jim Belair: The NYS Senate and Assembly have released their budgets (known as One House Budget) The next step is for the One House Budget to come to agreement with the Governor’s budget.   Proposed budget highlights regarding school libraries: One House Budget Library Operational Aid is $104.6 million, which is $2.5 million over the governor’s proposed budget One House Budget increases Library Materials Aid (Book Budget) increase from $6.25 per student to $11.00 per student. This is not the governor’s budget NOVELny funding is in both the One House and the governor’s budget. There s not clarification on what this will look like beyond next year.   Below is a link where you can email your elected officials in NY and let them know your thoughts regarding library funding. I want to stress this is completely optional and it is your opportunity to share with Albany what you feel is budgetarily important.    NYLA Link: Take Action

📢 Calling all Superintendents! 📢 With crucial budget decisions ahead, special education funding is a top priority as we edge closer to the Fiscal Cliff. Explore alternative funding options: 💰 Federal 419 IDEA Part B Regular 611: Customizable funds to fit your district's unique needs. 💼 State Special Ed Aid 740: Tailored support for students and educators alike. 🌟 Various Grants: Unlock statewide opportunities for teacher support and retention. While extra funds provide a boost, let's stay focused on sustainability. Let's plan for the long term and invest wisely in our district's future. Need assistance? We're here for you every step of the way! #BudgetSeason #EducationInvestment 📊💡

Teachers across the state criticized California Gov. Newsom’s new budget proposal, saying that it would ‘wreak havoc on funding for our schools,’ writes Adam Beam in the @AP https://lnkd.in/gwZ_gz6c #CaliforniaTeachers #EducationFunding #SchoolBudget #EducationReform #PublicSchools #TeacherAdvocacy #SchoolFinance

The Illinois State Board of Education is set to unveil key FY2025 budget recommendations this week, a pivotal moment for advocates -- like Kids First Chicago -- who support increases to the state's evidence-based funding (EBF) formula for K-12 education. In a blog post, I wrote about how Kids First Chicago parents are advocating for at least $550 million in new EBF funding to fully fund K-12 school districts, like Chicago Public Schools, by 2027. This comes at a crucial time, as CPS faces significant budget challenges next year and in the years ahead. https://lnkd.in/gr4z4Hib

We are almost crossing the finish line!! Did you know that many districts still threaten to send families to collection or to prevent students from participating in extra curricular activities over school lunch debt?!? Did you know that a hungry child cannot connect to learning regardless of how millions of dollars are spent in innovation or curriculum? Did you know that school meals (lunch and breakfast) can account for 50% of a child’s daily nutrition? (Yes, the quality of meals need to improve. But that is another step) Join us Project Bread and help make school meals permanent for all students. Act now!! https://actnow.io/4MG8Qs2 Feed kids. End hunger. #universalschoolmeals #FeedKids #actnow #SchoolMealsForAll #changemakers