The RP Group’s Post

Maryland’s Blueprint Education Funding: A Comprehensive Look at Fiscal Allocations As Maryland lawmakers approved the substantial $63 billion fiscal year 2025 budget earlier this month, attention has turned to the intricate breakdown of funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan. This multi-billion-dollar initiative represents a cornerstone of the state’s educational strategy, with recent budgetary decisions shedding light on key financial allocations and strategies. Read More: https://lnkd.in/gN2RxWei #MarylandEducation #BlueprintForEducation #EducationFunding #FiscalAllocations #MarylandSchools #EducationEquity #SchoolFunding #BlueprintForSuccess

Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled an ambitious $48.3 billion spending plan Tuesday that attempts to tackle decades of deferred investments in education and proposes no new tax hikes. The cornerstone of the governor’s budget proposal are major funding increases for the state’s public school and higher education systems. He proposed a nearly $1.1 billion increase in funding for K-12 public schools that includes $872 million in the next fiscal year as a down-payment to address decades of chronic underfunding and inequity. Shapiro also pitched a new system for higher education that would combine state-owned schools and community colleges under one governing body, among other efforts to make getting a college degree more affordable in Pennsylvania. “No one here should be OK with an unconstitutional education system for our kids, or the status quo on higher ed, where we rank 49th in the nation in state investment,” Shapiro said. Former governors from both parties have tried to fix Pennsylvania’s perennial issues. https://lnkd.in/eyNikJek

Ohio Board of Education Faces Budget Crisis After Department Overhaul Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Board of Education finds itself grappling with a budget crisis following a recent overhaul of the education department by the legislature. The changes, enacted in October, shifted oversight of the state’s education department from the Board of Education to the governor, leading to financial uncertainties for the board. Read More: https://lnkd.in/dbpHJFHV #OhioEducationCrisis #BudgetOverhaul #BoardOfEducation #BudgetCrisis #OhioBudget #EducationReform

As Congress considers the FY2024 budget, we reiterate the need to strengthen Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and Supplemental Education Opportunities Grants (FSEOG). In our letter to Congress, we urge them to support these crucial programs: bit.ly/4c6Pss6.

Today, the Senate began its budget deliberations. While the budget invests heavily in higher education, it continues the recent trend of providing enhanced financial aid opportunities only to students who choose to study at a public college or university. We remain committed to growing need-based financial aid programs that are available to all students, such as the MassGrant, and seeking increased funding for the Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Grant. This is essential to ensure that all deserving Massachusetts students can choose the college that best fits their needs and interests, whether they be academic, financial, geographic or personal comfort level. We recently asked four Massachusetts students – Emily from Suffolk University, Brianna and Maya from Wheaton College, and Emilie from Dean College - to share how state financial aid made their college dreams possible. These talented students represent the best of Massachusetts; keeping them in the state for college and in our future workforce must be a guiding principle of state funding decisions. https://lnkd.in/etBzakaB

How to make sense of the volatile budget process in recent cycles and the implications for your institution? There are no better experts on the forecast for higher education than John McAllister and Jennifer Taylor, trust me.

Alabama House Approves Record $9.3 Billion Education Budget In a landmark move, the Alabama House of Representatives has approved a state education budget totaling a staggering $9.3 billion, marking a significant increase of 6.25% over the previous year’s budget. This approval signals a resounding commitment to bolstering the state’s education system and investing in its educators and students. Read More: https://lnkd.in/drEps4iC #EducationBudget #RecordFunding #EducationInvestment #AlabamaSchools #BudgetApproval #EducationPriorities #FundingForSchools #StudentSuccess

ICMYI—we released our federal policy priorities for this year—a list of bold legislative and regulatory proposals to guarantee that students can finally meet their basic needs: https://lnkd.in/eKTzY2se

Today, the House Ways & Means Education Committee held a hearing about the FY2025 Education Trust Fund budget. The House’s proposed budget substitute bill contains several changes to Governor Ivey’s proposed budgets. Read our summary of these changes and more here: https://ow.ly/TSRY50R8So7

K-12 funding is the biggest line item in most state budgets. Legislatures should do what they can to ensure that investment is spent well on behalf of their state’s students. With the fiscal cliff coming, that matters more than ever. Here are 5 levers states can pull to help districts maximize the value of every dollar. These levers don’t require politically complicated changes to state funding formulas or limiting funding flexibility with class size caps, staffing prescriptions, or mandated programs. And, they are low-cost and popular on both sides of the aisle.