Weekly Planner: What's Next For Indiana Schools Losing Federal Dollars
A Head Start student draws in her classroom at Eastview Elementary in Connersville.
Automatic federal spending cuts kicked in Friday, but many Indiana Head Start programs say they’re still in the dark when it comes to details about the sequester. They know they’ll have to make cuts — but they aren’t sure yet how much.
“I hear from a lot of programs, though, that they are now cutting into the bone,” says Indiana Head Start Association Executive Director Cheryl Miller. “They’ve trimmed everything they can possibly trim.”
Next week we’ll continue covering what the automatic federal spending cuts mean for Indiana schools. Even though no district stands to lose more than 3 percent of its overall revenue, schools will see a reduction in aid for students in special education and from low-income families.
Those education stories and more, below.
Coming Up Next Week
- Monday, March 4: Schools can begin administering the applied skills portion of the ISTEP+. Students in grades three through eight take Indiana’s standardized test. The online, multiple choice portion of test is administered at the end of April.
- Wednesday, March 6: The State Board of Education will meet at 9 a.m. at the Indiana Government Center South, 302 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. The first part of the meeting will be a study session. It’s open to the public, but there won’t be time for public comments until the regular business meeting at 10:45 a.m. The board will hear an update on the five state turnaround schools as well as the third grade reading exam.
- Also Wednesday: Kyle’s moderating a conversation with State Superintendent Glenda Ritz at 6 p.m. at the Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. StateImpact is partnering with WFYI to talk about issues that are important to parents, teachers and community leaders.
What We’re Working On
- Indiana lawmakers are considering a small-scale preschool pilot program as President Obama says he’ll push for expanded access to early education for low-income families. With all the conversation surrounding pre-K, we’ll take a look at what makes a program “high quality.”
- Keep sharing your questions about the Common Core. Send us an email, reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter or leave us a comment letting us know your Core Questions.
