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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Alabama schools among 'most underfunded' in the nation

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Monday, January 29, 2024   

A new report showed Alabama is among 39 states that "critically underfunds" its K-12 public schools.

The report on the state school finance systems from the Albert Shanker Institute found the state is spending less on education now than it did back in 2006, leaving nearly $5 billion on the table which could be going to school districts.

Bruce Baker, professor of education at the University of Miami and the report's co-author, said it leaves students at a disadvantage and widens opportunity gaps.

"It's a low economic-capacity state," Baker pointed out. "Even putting up national average or slightly higher than national average effort, you get 89.3% of kids attending inadequately funded districts; 57.3% attending chronically underfunded districts."

He noted in comparison to other states, Alabama has higher poverty rates and a less robust economy. He thinks one way to counter the lack of state funding is to have the federal government step in to help meet students' needs. Critics of public education argued it is too costly and voiced concerns about the role of teachers' unions.

Mary Cathryn Ricker, president of the Albert Shanker Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, emphasized the increasing expectations on schools and the need for additional support. With four of five states spending less on funding than they did 15 years ago, the report suggested every state conduct audits to ensure funding levels are adequate, and equal opportunity factors are being considered.

"Really the last thing they should really review or audit is whether the students with the greatest needs in their state, that need to get addressed, are getting the funding to have those needs addressed," Ricker urged.

The report also uncovered significant funding disparities in many states, with Black students attending underfunded districts twice as often as white students and Hispanic students also facing considerable funding gaps.


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