School funding

Over the past few years, the Oregon Legislature has responded to industry-wide labor shortages in manufacturing, tech and health care by directing millions of dollars to workforce development programs. Now, education advocates say it should do the same for child care and preschool teachers.

The biggest question this session is about how much money the state will invest in public schools for the next biennium. But it’s not the only question.

Federal funding for rural schools goes to 39 California counties. School districts in those communities consider the money a lifeline.

Every year, school boards across Oregon — and around the country — buckle down and spend months finalizing their district budgets.

The state’s public universities and community colleges are calling for increased investment in higher education.

Voters across Oregon were asked to approve taxes to help local schools at a time when districts throughout the region are facing substantial budget shortfalls. According to initial election returns, Oregonians, in many cases, said “no.”

The judge ruled that the Jewell School District failed to make the case that the Oregon Department of Forestry was violating a funding law by reducing logging.

The Jewell School District in Clatsop County plans to “bet the farm” to overturn a habitat conservation plan that threatens the district’s timber funding.

The proposal aims to narrow district funding gaps caused by rising costs and an end of extra federal funding in September.

An annual report from a prominent higher education association ranks Oregon 44th in the nation for public higher education funding.

Education agencies, institutions and nonprofits in Oregon are slated to a portion of more than $21.3 billion from Congress for the current year.

California schools got $23.4 billion in federal pandemic relief money. Low-income schools that got the most may be hardest hit when the funds expire this year.