The Center Square

Youngkin Unveils $290M for School Construction, Renovation

Sarah Roderick-Fitch | December 10, 2024 (The Center Square) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced an additional budget investment of $290 million to further school construction and modernization. The latest additional funding brings the total amount in the current biennium budget to $700 million, and it has totaled $2 billion since the governor took […]

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School Choice Advocates Praise Trump’s Education Pick

Photo Credit: Gade Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0) Casey Harper | November 22, 2024 (The Center Square) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Linda McMahon to lead the U.S. Department of Education, and school choice advocates were quick to praise the pick. McMahon, who served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first administration,

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Youngkin Aims to Combat Youth Social Media ‘Addiction’

Sarah Roderick-Fitch | November 22, 2024 (The Center Square) — An executive order has been issued to empower and support Virginia parents seeking to protect children from “addictive social media,” which advocates say is a factor in the youth mental health crisis. Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 43, which will mobilize commonwealth agencies to

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Report: ESA’s Will Help Schools, Save Taxpayers Money

Madeline Armstrong | October 18, 2024 (The Center Square) — A recent report from the Fiscal Research and Education Center shows that school choice programs may save taxpayers money despite some Arizona politicians’ concerns about oversight of the statewide ESA program. The report looked at 25 states plus the District of Columbia, including Arizona. The

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Lowest-Spending Virginia School Districts Surpass Top Spenders in Some Subjects

Morgan Sweeney | September 4, 2024 (The Center Square) — Recent data on school district spending gathered by the Virginia Public Access Project appear to support the conclusion of a late-February Reason Foundation study assessing the relationship between state K-12 education spending and student outcomes.  The foundation concluded that increased spending does not always correlate with higher test

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Governor’s Executive Order Paves Way for Cellphone-Free Schools in Virginia

Sarah Roderick-Fitch | July 10, 2024 (The Center Square) – Virginia is joining a growing number of states seeking to limit cellphone usage in public schools. Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 on Tuesday, which will direct the Virginia Department of Education to “draft guidance” for school districts to “adopt local policies and procedures”

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District Considers Cutting School Bond by Millions for November Election

Tim Clouser | May 13, 2024 (The Center Square) — Spokane Public Schools is weighing its options as the August election looms. The district’s $200 million bond failed in February, leaving the district wondering where to draw the line with taxes.  The SPS School Board convened for a special meeting Wednesday afternoon following Mayor Lisa

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