Dive Brief:
- By the start of July, 40 state legislatures, including 30 dominated by Republicans, wrapped their sessions, but this session was quieter than similarly partisan ones in previous years.
- At least six legislatures moved against current testing regimens, either by allowing parent opt-outs or doing away with their testing provider.
- Several districts also opened the door for state-run turnaround efforts and charter schools — both Georgia and Nevada placed school districts under state supervision, and Ohio expanded state operators’ ability to authorize charter schools.
Dive Insight:
One of the unresolved questions as legislative sessions draw to a close is the question of K-12 funding. Although many educators have called for more funds for schools, legislatures have by and large moved slowly on any funding increase since the 2008 economic downturn.
A survey of state budget officers found that funding increases this year didn’t keep pace with previous years. On average, states increased general fund spending by around 3.1%, compared with 4.6% last year. Speaking with Education Week, Daniel Thatcher, a senior policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, attributed that to states’ reluctance or inability to get back to pre-recession budgeting.
"Are legislators trying to get funding back to 2008 levels, or are they trying to get increases [compared to the] past year? It seems like it's the latter," said Thatcher.
