A collection of new laws signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro during this year’s budget process make important amendments to the Public School Code affecting all school entities. Among them is Act 55 of 2024, which...more
Following extensive deliberations and legislative actions, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2025 New Jersey Appropriations Act on Friday night, setting the state’s financial course for the upcoming fiscal year. The...more
As Michigan public schools prepare their 2024-2025 budgets, schools should be aware of the short-term borrowing options available to cover their projected operating cash-flow shortfalls....more
While bonds can be used to finance capital needs for Georgia school districts, other strategies are available that do not require a referendum. Tax anticipation notes, multi-year lease purchases, certificates of...more
Failure to Extend Extracurricular Opportunities to Parochial School Students Violates Free Exercise In Religious Rights Foundation of Pa. v. State College Area Sch. Dist., No. 23-CV-01144, 2023 WL 8359957 (M.D. Pa. Dec. 1,...more
After a tumultuous week of drafting and negotiations on State Street, Governor Phil Murphy has signed into law the Fiscal Year 2024 New Jersey Appropriations Act, formalizing the State’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year....more
As Michigan public schools navigate the preparation of their 2023-2024 budgets, we wanted to again provide you with a reminder of the short-term borrowing options available to cover projected operating cash-flow shortfalls....more
While a recent Pennsylvania ruling issued In February 2023 has been hailed as a victory for the underfunded school districts in the state, it could be a long road ahead before meaningful change makes its way to the students,...more
Win in Court doesn’t Assure More Pennsylvania School Funding - “Pennsylvania is the latest state where the public school funding system was found to be unconstitutional, but the experience in other states suggests there’s...more
Week one of the 2022 Legislative Session is in the books. The halls were relatively quiet on Friday as legislators filed in to receive copies of the budgets before sprinting home. ...more
The expansion in federal and state funding coupled with low interest rate financing options now promise to make the goal of “middle mile” and “last mile” broadband connectivity a reality for local communities. Whether your...more
In response to several Florida school boards considering mask mandates in advance of school openings, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just signed an executive order threatening to withhold state funds from any school boards...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature enacted a $196 billion spending plan for FY 2021–22, the largest budget in state history. Buoyed by a record budget surplus estimated at $85 billion, including $26…...more
The Ohio General Assembly recently completed an exhaustive and comprehensive first half of 2021. The legislature tackled the state’s two-year operating budget, COVID-19 relief funding, residential broadband expansion, reforms...more
For some time now, improving broadband internet access has been a priority for school districts and other political subdivisions across Ohio. Moreover, one of the main challenges faced by school districts in their efforts to...more
Judge Gina R. Russo of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas recently issued a decision awarding three Ohio public school districts $42 million, plus interest, based on the Ohio Department of Education (ODE)’s unlawful...more
Lawmaking in the COVID Era - The legislature adjourned on June 26 at 8:41 p.m. Sort of. After holding what was nearly the longest and certainly the strangest session in history, the legislature has really only recessed,...more
As the situation continues to unfold, the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States is prompting increased federal and state action. There is much confusion regarding the implications of an emergency...more
Case Provides Valuable Guidance for Public Agencies Wanting One Contractor for Two Phases - A contractor that had two separate contracts with a school district — one for preconstruction services and the other for...more
The North Carolina General Assembly has ground to a halt as lawmakers battle with the Governor over passing the state budget. Differing opinions on how to move forward with education among other issues in the state has split...more
Education is always a top public policy issue in Florida, and the 2019 legislative session was no different. This year, lawmakers made major investments in K-12 funding, expanded career and workforce education, revised school...more
On July 17, 2019, after a 17-day delay, Governor Mike DeWine and the 133rd General Assembly completed work on House Bill (H.B.) 166, the state’s general operating budget for the biennium. It concludes several months of...more
After a 17-day delay, state budget negotiations have concluded, and Governor Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s $69 billion two-year state operating budget into law. On June 30, lawmakers passed an interim budget, which ran through...more
The 86th Texas Legislative Session came to a close on Memorial Day. Over 7,300 bills were filed at the beginning of session, with over 1,250 ultimately becoming law. The 140-day session focused on major policy issues versus...more
The North Carolina General Assembly has been hard at work over the last few weeks; with the House drafting, debating and passing its state budget proposal (H 966), and the House and the Senate putting in long days (and a few...more