public schools Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Idaho Gave Families $50M to Spend on Private Education. Then It Ended a $30M Program Used by Public School Families.

By NWPB April 18, 2025

A photo illustration of a backpack. Half of the backpack appears normal, while the other half of the backpack has a $100 bill overlay on it.

Just weeks after creating a $50 million tax credit to help families pay for private school tuition and homeschooling, Idaho has shut down a program that helped tens of thousands of public school students pay for laptops, school supplies, tutoring and other educational expenses.Read More

Two districts, the same dilemma: Not enough shelter spaces

By Lauren Gallup June 12, 2023

Schools across Washington state are dealing with increasing numbers of homeless students. Image: Lauren Gallup via Canva / NWPB

For Jami Pitman, her child’s elementary school changed their lives. Eight years ago, when she enrolled her child in Bellingham Public Schools, they were homeless. Pitman said she sought housing support from the Opportunity Council, an organization that provides a variety of wraparound services. Opportunity Council is part of the county’s coordinated entry system. The Read More

Tacoma schools seek housing resources as district with most homeless students

By Lauren Gallup June 2, 2023

Gov. Jay Inlsee signs HB 1682 at McCarver Elementary School in Tacoma in 2016. The governor is surrounded by adults and students.

The Tacoma School District has the largest number of students experiencing homelessness in Washington. Month after month, more students and their families are counted as homeless in Tacoma, the third largest city in the state. “We started the fall at 1,626, and as of the end of April, we're at 2,382,” said Taj Jensen, director of Title, Learning Assistance Programs Read More

Olympia School District facing potential $11.5 million deficit, deciding on RIF process

By Lauren Gallup April 10, 2023

School funding experts predicted a looming financial disaster for the nation's K-12 schools. CREDIT: LA Johnson/NPR

The Olympia School District, like others across the state, is facing a budget deficit that could result in layoffs. The district is estimating a shortfall of up to $11.5 million for the 2023-24 school year. Read More

State Superintendent Releases New Plan To Fund School Construction

By Lauren Gallup July 20, 2022

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal from June 2018 CREDIT: TVW

State superintendent Chris Reykdal announced his plan yesterday to change how school construction across the state is funded.Read More

Covid Rates Climbing In Tri-Cities Schools

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour February 7, 2022

According to the Washington State Department of Health, covid case rates in Eastern Washington are top ten for the entire country. DOH is emphasizing the importance of masks and vaccines, and warn of hospitals becoming increasingly filled in the next two weeks with Covid cases.Read More

Money From Timber Sales A Drop In The Bucket For School Budgets

By Lauren Gallup January 25, 2022

Chris Reykdahl, Washington’s superintendent of public schools says he would like to see the state legislature commit to financing school construction, but not the traditional way. Read More

Idaho Public School Enrollment Drops For First Time Since 1997, Virtual Schools See Big Gains

By NWPB News October 28, 2020

The Moscow School District decided earlier in March to close schools after its spring break, after Idaho Gov. Brad Little declined a statewide closure. CREDIT: Architect21c at the English Wikipedia / GFDL gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html

Idaho public schools are serving 4,554 fewer students than they did last school year, marking the first time since 1997 that the state has seen a decline in enrollment.Read More

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Loses Latest Fight Over Rerouting Aid To Private School Students

By NPR News September 12, 2020

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos backed a rule that would have increased private schools' share of CARES Act dollars from $127 million to $1.5 billion, according to one analysis. CREDIT: Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A federal judge says U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos overstepped in trying to send more CARES Act money to help students at private schools.Read More

Idaho Group Wins Permission To Collect Online Signatures For School Funding Initiative

By Doug Nadvornick July 10, 2020

Reclaim Idaho hopes to put its initiative on the November ballot. It would require the state to raise state income taxes for corporations and people who make more than $250,000 a year. The money would be routed to public schools.Read More

Half Of U.S. Public School Students Are Home For The School Year

By NPR News April 16, 2020

As of Thursday afternoon, 26 states, representing about half of the nation's public school students, have recommended or ordered their schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year, according to a tally by Education Week. The closures affect about 25 million of the nation's 50.8 million public school students.Read More

More Than 50 Teachers And Staff Could Be Cut At Vancouver Schools

By Molly Solomon February 28, 2019

Members of the Vancouver Public Schools board of directors Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019. CREDIT: MOLLY SOLOMON/OPB

Vancouver Public Schools says it will need to cut more than 50 teacher and staff positions to help close a $14.3 million budget deficit.Read More

1 In 10 Public School Students Are In Texas. They’ll Now Learn Slavery Played Central Role In Civil War

By NPR News November 17, 2018

Abraham Lincoln is shown in Richmond, Va., being cheered by former slaves in 1865.

The state's previous social studies standards listed three causes for the Civil War: sectionalism, states' rights and slavery, in that order.Read More

Reunification 101: Some Northwest Schools Moving Beyond Emergency Drills And Toward Aftermath

By Tom Banse October 15, 2018

Teacher Jeremy Thomas holds up an all-accounted-for sign after the school evacuation. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / N3

It's a sad fact of life that K-12 students must practice for calamities such as earthquakes, fires, lockdowns or active shooters. Now a few public schools in the region are roping in parents and guardians to practice for the aftermath.Read More

McCleary Case: A Short History Of A Long And Complicated Washington School Funding Fight

By Max Bartlett June 15, 2018

The Temple of Justice at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Washington.

Earlier this month the Washington state Supreme Court brought to an end to a school funding fight which began more than a decade ago. What's the history of the very important decision?Read More

Seattle Picks New Superintendent; Denise Juneau Hails From Montana

By Lisa Brooks April 5, 2018

Denise Juneau is the former Montana superintendent of public instruction. She also ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2016. CREDIT: AMY RADIL/KUOW

The Seattle School Board voted unanimously on Wednesday night to hire Denise Juneau as the district’s new superintendent.Read More

Idaho Senate Committee Keeps Climate Change In New Science Standards

By NWPB News February 23, 2018

An Idaho Senate panel voted February 22 to retain all references to man-made climate change in proposed science standards for K-12 education, which could end a three-year fight over the rules.Read More

‘My Stomach Hurts’: Gridlock In Olympia Forces Superintendent To Delay School Construction

By Austin Jenkins July 21, 2017

The Chehalis School District broke ground on one new elementary school, but a second has been put on hold after the Washington Legislature failed to pass a $4.1 billion capital […]Read More

Inslee Calls Third Special Session As Government Shutdown Looms

By Austin Jenkins June 21, 2017

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a third special session on Wednesday and said it was time to ”crack the whip” on lawmakers to get a budget deal and avoid a […]Read More