Hall Pass Your Ticket To Understanding School Board Newsbreak

Leo Migdal
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hall pass your ticket to understanding school board newsbreak

Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections, and Ballotpedia News is our hub for breaking news. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content. As a nonprofit, our mission is to educate. We’re here for you when: * You’re considering a run for office. * You’re making decisions about how you’ll vote in an election.

* You need the latest political news and analysis from a reliable, nonpartisan source. Ballotpedia's articles are 100% written by our professional staff of more than 50 writers and researchers. Although we have an office in Middleton, Wisconsin, the majority of our staff work from home offices across the United States. Ballotpedia is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with any campaigns or candidates for office. Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas!

In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered. On Oct. 14, the Michigan State Board of Education voted 5-2 to endorse a proposed 2026 constitutional amendment that would tax high-income earners to raise revenue for K-12 public schools. The funds would be designated “to support classrooms in local school districts,” such as reducing class sizes, providing career and technical education, and recruiting and retaining teachers.

The initiative, which supporters have titled “Invest In MI Kids,” would levy a 5% surcharge on annual taxable income of more than $1 million for joint returns and $500,000 for single returns. Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. On the issues: The debate over teaching controversial topics School board filing deadlines, election results, and recall certifications Budget reconciliation bill enacts first federal private school choice program School board authority across the 50 states series (Week 4): Election timing

Welcome to Hall Pass. This newsletter keeps you plugged into the conversations driving school board politics and governance. Each week, we bring you a roundup of the latest on school board elections, along with sharp commentary and research from across the political spectrum on the issues confronting school boards in the country’s... We’ll also bring you the latest on school board elections and recall efforts, including candidate filing deadlines and election results. Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district.

On March 14, the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) released proposed changes to the federal Charter School Programs (CSP), which provides grants to charter schools. Among other things, the proposed changes would prohibit federal grants from going to charter school organizations that rely on for-profit companies to run their schools. Federal grants are currently restricted to nonprofit charter school organizations. Below, Jeff Bryant, lead fellow of The Progressive Magazine’s Public Schools Advocate project, writes that President Joe Biden’s (D) proposed changes to federal charter school funding regulations would improve the program’s efficiency. Bryant says conservatives who oppose the regulations are carrying water for charter school lobbyists, who haven’t demonstrated the proposed regulations will negatively affect growth.

Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections, and Ballotpedia News is our hub for breaking news. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content. As a nonprofit, our mission is to educate. We’re here for you when: * You’re considering a run for office. * You’re making decisions about how you’ll vote in an election.

* You need the latest political news and analysis from a reliable, nonpartisan source. Ballotpedia's articles are 100% written by our professional staff of more than 50 writers and researchers. Although we have an office in Middleton, Wisconsin, the majority of our staff work from home offices across the United States. Ballotpedia is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with any campaigns or candidates for office. Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas!

On the issues: The debate over New York City’s Gifted and Talented (G&T) program for kindergarteners In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered. The Clifton School Board meeting focused on the plans for a new middle school and a proposed 2% budget increase, sparking discussions among board members and the community. The meeting addressed overcrowding concerns in existing schools, the logistics of opening a new facility, and the financial implications of the proposed budget.

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the proposed opening of a new middle school at the site of the former Pope Paul VI school. The plan, presented by Dr. Robert Toy, aims to alleviate overcrowding by gradually introducing a sixth-grade class in the first year and expanding to include seventh and eighth grades over subsequent years. The decision to pursue this third middle school is backed by a demographic study and community surveys indicating strong support, with 38% of respondents favoring the proposal. The school board is currently obtaining approval from the New Jersey Department of Education for leasing the building and is in the process of appointing a principal. A committee comprising middle school administrators and teaching staff will be formed to address the operational details of opening the new school.

Concerns were raised about the associated redistricting process, which will determine which elementary schools will feed into the new middle school. The board emphasized that decisions would be guided by an ongoing demographic report to ensure equitable distribution of students while addressing current overcrowding. The report’s findings will shape the redistricting efforts, considering socio-economic factors and aiming for a balanced approach to integrating students from various neighborhoods. The community’s role in naming the new school was also discussed. A new naming policy allows for community submissions with at least 25 signatures for validation. This initiative encourages student involvement, potentially incorporating the naming process as part of an academic assignment.

There were also discussions about the integration of special education programs within the new facility, moving most middle school special education programs from Woodrow to the new site to better balance resources. Simultaneously, the board deliberated over the preliminary budget for the 2025-26 school year, with a proposed 2% increase. Members expressed differing opinions, with some advocating for a reduced percentage to ease the financial burden on taxpayers. The motion for a 2% increase did not pass, leading to discussions on a 1% increase and calls for clarity regarding the implications of such decisions. The administration highlighted the need for a comprehensive understanding of budget cuts and their potential impact on programs and staffing. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections, and Ballotpedia News is our hub for breaking news.

Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content. As a nonprofit, our mission is to educate. We’re here for you when: * You’re considering a run for office. * You’re making decisions about how you’ll vote in an election. * You need the latest political news and analysis from a reliable, nonpartisan source.

Ballotpedia's articles are 100% written by our professional staff of more than 50 writers and researchers. Although we have an office in Middleton, Wisconsin, the majority of our staff work from home offices across the United States. Ballotpedia is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with any campaigns or candidates for office. Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district.

Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered. Should schools teach algebra in eighth grade by default? HOWLAND — The Howland Board of Education heard updates on a school’s new hall-pass program, which is entering its second year. At this week’s regular board meeting, Howland Junior High School principal James Kosek presented data from the 2024-25 school year obtained from SmartPass, a digital hall pass and student accountability program also used by... In the months tracked by the program — September 2024 through April 11, 2025 — more than 41,000 passes were issued across two grade levels, Kosek said.

“So when you think about that, we kind of looked at it; we can break that down per student — we’re able to see which students are in maybe the top 5%, the top... “How many minutes, how many hours they’re missing. So it really helps us have conversations with the parents about their students.” Kosek said school officials made changes for the school year based on the numbers, noting that Howland last year had a weekly average of 2.4 passes per student — compared to the 2.1 of... Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections, and Ballotpedia News is our hub for breaking news. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government.

We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content. As a nonprofit, our mission is to educate. We’re here for you when: * You’re considering a run for office. * You’re making decisions about how you’ll vote in an election. * You need the latest political news and analysis from a reliable, nonpartisan source. Ballotpedia's articles are 100% written by our professional staff of more than 50 writers and researchers.

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