Latest news with #budgetcuts
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Staff at a Dorset school strike over restructuring plans for two schools
Staff at a state school are taking industrial action in protest at restructuring Sherborne Area Schools' Trust (SAST) said Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High in Dorset had been facing a budget deficit of £1m between them so it was "looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads".On 17 June, Shaftesbury School staff who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) walked out over the restructure, which the NEU said would "take teaching resource away from the front line."SAST said it continued to engage "in constructive dialogue with union colleagues". Jon Timbrell, who represents the NEU in the South West, said the restructure is "stripping half of the heads of curriculum out of the schools" and "prioritising retaining a large layer of executive management".He said a lot of the changes the trust had proposed "have been really unpopular within the community" and the turnout on Tuesday "was huge", with sixth formers, parents and other residents coming to show support."In negotiations with the trust, we raised the fact that the financial picture has changed quite significantly," Mr Timbrell added, referring to the 4% pay rise for teachers announced by the government and the investment in education proposed in the spending said the union was calling on the trust "to look again at the figures in light of that as well."More strikes are planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday. SAST said the plans were "designed to ensure long-term financial sustainability".It said similar issues were being faced "by many rural secondary schools, who are having to decide whether their sixth forms are sustainable".It had also commissioned an independent report in conjunction with the Department for Education, which looked at ways to reduce costs "whilst maintaining educational provision". The schools already share an executive headteacher and operate in a joint sixth form."We believe that sixth forms should remain in our local communities, and we are therefore looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads whilst encouraging collaboration between them," the trust added there had been "a full consultation involving staff and union representatives"."We have listened throughout and made considered adjustments in response to genuine feedback, while keeping our focus on what matters most — the experience and outcomes of our students." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Edinburgh University staff on first of six strikes
University of Edinburgh staff have gone on strike in a dispute over proposed £140m budget one-day walkout is to be followed by five further days of strikes at the start of the new academic year in University and Colleges Union (UCU) said the strike was happening because the university's principal, Sir Peter Mathieson, had refused to rule out making compulsory this month, Sir Peter told Holyrood's education committee the cuts, which include a £90m reduction in the wage bill, were "in the best interests of the university". About 350 staff have accepted voluntary redundancy but unions fear compulsory redundancies will UCU members previously voted 84% in favour of industrial action. Strike dates are also set for 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 September. This coincides with the university's "welcome week" when students arrive for the new academic year.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Tuition Hikes and Layoffs Are Coming to a Broad Set of Universities
Public universities in the Midwest are raising prices for out-of-state students, as Florida schools consider making the same move for the first time since 2012. Cornell and Duke are among the colleges weighing layoffs. The University of Minnesota is cutting hundreds of jobs, even as undergraduate tuition soars as much as 7.5 percent. Just as America's colleges are preparing to welcome what could be the largest freshman class in the nation's history, political and economic forces are unleashing havoc on higher education budgets. Schools are grappling with meager upticks in state support and topsy-turvy economic forecasts, and Republicans in Washington are pursuing federal budget cuts and threatening tax hikes. Students and employees from coast to coast are poised to feel the squeeze. Although the exact consequences will vary by school, administrators are warning that many students may have to pay more, professors may lose their jobs, programs could vanish and support services could shrink. The turmoil is not limited to any one type of university or college, or any one state. A day before Michigan State University trustees opted for tuition increases, a California State University campus minutes from the Pacific Ocean announced that it was trimming its work force. 'If you're a student or family looking to go to college this year, all of the numbers are going in the wrong direction,' said Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, who described the mood among higher education leaders as 'dark but resolved.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Public Schools to cut some yellow buses, place more middle schoolers on Metro
More than a thousand additional Cincinnati Public Schools students, most of whom are middle schoolers, will ride public transportation this year. The district's board of education approved moving the seventh- and eighth-grade students from yellow school buses to Cincinnati Metro during a recent business meeting. The cost-cutting measure comes as the district works this month to bridge a roughly $50 million budget gap between the current fiscal year and the upcoming one before the June 30 deadline. That gap was prompted by a decrease in government funds, and not, according to the district, due to overspending. The change impacts 1,260 students across 13 schools, the district's Chief Operating Officer Chris Burkhardt said, and will save the district almost $3 million per year. Most of Cincinnati Public Schools' high school students already ride Metro buses, as do some seventh and eighth-graders. Roughly 10,500 students rode Metro buses for school transportation last school year and roughly 2,800 of them were seventh and eighth graders. The board approved moving seventh and eighth-graders who attend grades seven to 12 schools to Metro busing last July. The decision to increase student ridership was made despite recent concerns about teen violence in Downtown and Oakley connected to students from Cincinnati Public Schools riding the Metro buses. A handful of high schoolers riding Metro were involved in brawls and an assault at bus stations in 2024. Metro and the district said they have been working to address safety concerns. School board member Ben Lindy said moving more students to Metro was a difficult decision. However, district officials said they meet regularly with Metro to address student safety concerns. "Given our experience these past few years and the work our transportation team has done," Lindy said, "I think this is a tough but right decision." This upcoming school year, students will ride Metro buses even if they attend a school that also serves younger grades, such as a K-12 school or one with kids from sixth through eighth grades. The switch also affects some high schoolers who were not assigned to ride Metro in the past. The following schools are impacted by the change: Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies. Academy of World Languages. Hartwell School. LEAP Academy. Mt. Washington School. Oyler School. Pleasant Hill Academy. Roberts Academy. Roselawn Condon School. Sayler Park School. School for Creative and Performing Arts. South Avondale School. Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students. High schoolers at Sayler Park School and Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students will now ride Metro if they choose to use a bus system. The district said it anticipates saving about $2.9 million annually based on internal cost comparisons. Yellow bus service costs an average of $3,085 per student, while Metro costs approximately $364 per student. Students can choose which high school they want to attend, and with Metro, the district doesn't need to hire a yellow bus to take a small number of students to and from a specific school, Burkhardt said. Metro has pre-determined routes that can carry students across the city. Burkhardt said he meets weekly with Metro to discuss student safety and to determine if changes need to be made. One of the areas they've worked to address is Government Square. In January 2024, there were multiple high-profile attacks in Downtown, which police traced back to students who congregated at Government Square. Individuals from the district, Metro, Cincinnati police and the city of Cincinnati worked together to create a larger adult presence at the bus station. A group of community outreach specialists has been staffed at the stop, watching the students and passing out flyers for job opportunities and various programming since February 2024. Metro spokesperson Brandy Jones said the community ambassadors will continue to be at Government Square and the Northside Transit Center every day during the upcoming school year. The district said it also tries to ensure that only students who absolutely need to transfer through Government Square do so. "It takes a village," Burkhardt said. "It takes all of us working together to make sure that students not only are safe, but that they feel safe." Jones said Metro has several measures in place for the safety of all passengers. Metro buses and transit centers have cameras and security monitors. Metro also contracts with the Cincinnati Police Department to staff transit centers and to conduct random rides on routes. If students have any issues while riding, Jones said, they are encouraged to notify the bus operator, who will address the concern or call for assistance. "Historically, we rarely have any safety issues involving students riding with the general public," said Jones. Officials from the district and transit company said they are working together to help students who are new to riding Metro. Jones outlined the following reminders to help students adjust to public transportation: The bus service encourages parents to ride the route with their student prior to the first day of class. Parents can ride with their student to class free of charge during the first week of school. Metro staff members will attend orientation sessions at schools to answer questions and help parents identify the best route for their student. Parents can visit for answers to frequently asked questions. Jones said Metro has provided transportation to students for more than 50 years. "What we have found, year over year … is that students are pretty adaptable," she said, "and it's a pretty smooth travel experience to and from class." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Public Schools places 1,200 more students on Metro buses
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
What The Senate Budget Bill Would Mean For Older Adults
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 14: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) is seen before Dr. ... More Mehmet Oz arrives for his confirmation hearing to lead the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (Photo by Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Senate's draft budget bill would cut Medicaid for older adults and people with disabilities even more deeply than the House version. It would scrap a Biden-era minimum staffing rule for nursing homes. And, at the same time, it drops a House proposal to increase tax-free savings that higher-income households could use to buy long-term care insurance or pay caregiving costs. The overall measure, approved by the Senate Finance Committee and likely to reach the Senate floor sometime next week, would cut taxes by trillions of dollars over the next decade and cut spending, though by significantly less. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet calculated the costs of the package. It also is possible Senate GOP leaders will revise the bill before it reaches the Senate floor. However, the current version would make substantial changes to programs affecting older adults, especially those on Medicaid. While Medicaid is widely considered to be a program for poor families, more than half of its benefits go to older adults and younger people with disabilities. About 7.2 million seniors and 4.8 million younger people with disabilities are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The Senate bill mimics the House measure by limiting the ability of states to tax Medicaid providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, but it is even more aggressive. Those complex provider taxes make it possible for states to pay providers more and effectively bill most of the additional costs to the federal government, which pays for about 70 percent of the program on average. The House bill would cap these taxes at current levels. The Senate plan would require states to lower their taxes for most providers, though they still could tax nursing homes at the higher levels. The provider tax limits would apply only to the 40 states and the District of Columbia that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Critics call provider taxes a financial gimmick that allows states to boost federal payments for the program. However, the real-world impact would be less federal funding for state Medicaid programs. And that would force states to either cut Medicaid benefits, limit program eligibility, or raise taxes to fill the federal hole. It also likely would result in states scaling back their home and community-based benefits, which are optional under the law, and shift more people to nursing home care, which is required. Like the House version, the Senate bill also would require Medicaid recipients to work. It exempts older adults and people with disabilities from having to work. But it could require some family members who are unable to work because of their caregiving responsibilities to choose between assisting a loved one and losing their own Medicaid benefits. The House bill appears to exempt family members caring for children and younger people with disabilities, but it is not clear whether it protects those staying home to assist frail parents or spouses. The Senate bill is ambiguous in a different way. It would exempt people from the Medicaid work requirement if they are a 'parent, guardian, caretaker relative, or family care giver (as defined in section 2 of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act) of a dependent child 14 years of age and under or a disabled individual.' And what does the RAISE Act say? 'The term 'family caregiver' means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation.' What does that mean? Well, nobody really knows. What does 'significant relationship' mean? What is a 'broad range of assistance?' What happens if two Medicaid recipients are caring for a parent? Which is exempt from the work requirement? Presumably, somebody at the Department of Health and Human Services eventually would have to write regulations to clarify it all. But that could take months, at the very least, especially since the Trump Administration fired so many HHS staffers earlier this year. The Senate bill also adopts many of the House's additional paperwork requirements for those applying for Medicaid or trying to keep benefits. It would block a Biden Administration rule that makes it easier to enroll in Medicare Savings Programs, which allow Medicaid to cover Medicare premiums and cost sharing. Without MSPs, low-income Medicare beneficiaries would have to pick up those costs themselves or buy costly Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance. The Senate bill also would effectively scrap Biden rules that would require nursing homes to maintain a minimum level of staff, including aides and Registered Nurses. Nursing homes are fighting those rules in court but a congressional repeal of the regulations would make the legal battle unnecessary. Finally, the Senate bill excludes a change in the House bill that could benefit higher-income people who want to put money away for long-term care. The House version would double the maximum contributions to employer-based Health Savings Accounts, but the Senate measure currently has no provision. The House and Senate are operating on a self-imposed July 4 deadline for passing this huge fiscal bill. It will be important to keep an eye on what happens over the next couple of weeks.
