| |
Daily Digest
Ever think you'd see that price again? This was taken in Stamford but there are reports some North Adams' gas stations are that low as well. |
Like to Write?
 Passionate about local sports? Into the environment? Obsessive about local meetings?
Let your neighbors know what's going on in Berkshire County! iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
Got Flu?
Track its spread through Google! |
| Need to contact iBerkshires? Here's how. |
ObituariesWhat's Playing
It's teen vampire love in the new film "Twilight," based on the best-selling series by Stephenie Meyer. |
Sales FliersColumnists | Independent Investor
|
Other StuffRelated Stories |
| |
State Ed Board Eyes Hike in SpendingBy Catherine Williams - November 03, 2007
State House News Service
BOSTON - The state Board of Education is weighing a proposal to increase spending on K-12 public education next fiscal year by 10 percent, to $4.7 billion.
The plan, discussed at a special budget planning meeting Thursday, would bump up funds for failing schools, standardized testing programs and programs to shrink student achievement gaps between the highest and lowest performing Bay State students.
The budget proposal includes $4.3 billion in local aid funding, a $285 million increase over the current fiscal year. Chapter 70 aid to cities and towns would increase to $3.9 billion, up $193 million over this year’s allocation.
The board is concerned with protecting funding for programs that address the widening achievement gap in the Bay State, board Chairman Paul Reville told the News Service after the meeting. The budget proposal, which will go before the full board later this month, calls for a $43 million fund, up from the current $13.2 million, to help teachers pull up low-performing students.
Reville said the board’s budget priorities also include grants for students and training teachers who teach some of Massachusetts’ 50,000 foreign language students.
"It is an area where I think we need to focus on," said Reville.
Reville said two additional priorities include the $20.6 million purse for the Metco program, which places minority urban students in suburban school districts, and a new $1 million bank to fund a program to prepare students to enter an international workplace.
Some of the most significant increases would go to programs designed to prevent students from dropping out of school. For instance, a $39 million fund, up from $30 million currently, would pay for programs for failing schools in 46 school districts. And a $12 million budget item would reinstate a health education program for counseling and substance abuse prevention.
"The sense of urgency [about high dropout rates] has to be reflected in this budget," said Ruth Kaplan, a board member.
In addition, the budget proposal includes $32 million for an MCAS student assessment program, a $4.7 million increase from 2008.
The board plans to approve the final budget proposal during their next meeting on Nov. 27 before sending it to administration officials for review later this year. |
|
Enter your email address below to receive our FREE iBerkshires.com Newsletter
|
