Michigan Private Schools Excluded from Nutrition Program
Michigan Private Schools Excluded from Nutrition Program
In Michigan, more than 4,200 students in private schools are currently excluded from a state program that provides public school students with free breakfast and lunch. The Michigan CAPE — the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools (MANS) — is advocating for the inclusion of nonpublic school students in this meal program. The cost to extend these meal benefits to eligible nonpublic schools would be $1.6 million, “a drop in the bucket compared to the $200 million approved by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to continue the program another year for public schools,” according to MLive.
“It’s a relatively simple issue: You either think all kids are deserving of getting nutrition and being able to go to school ready to learn or you only think some kids are.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District has until Friday, Aug. 16, to show records that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles says, in a lawsuit, proves LAUSD has withheld federal funding from historically eligible low-income students attending Catholic schools.
The lawsuit — part of an ongoing funding dispute happening since 2019 — alleges that during the 2017-2020 school years, LAUSD “failed to consult with the relevant school officials” before “changing the methodology for counting the number of eligible low-income (Archdiocese) students who are residents of the LAUSD school attendance area,” according to a tentative ruling report of the case.
The Archdiocese claimed in the lawsuit that LAUSD’s option for calculating what the private schools’ funding eligibility — which changed in 2018 — resulted in millions of dollars lost for its lower-income students the following four years.
Robert Tagorda, the chief academic officer of the Archdiocese of LA, said the loss in funding was an “instantaneous drastic change” that “occurred so abruptly… resulting in a catastrophic decline in services.”Read more.
School Choice for Mississippi Military Families
Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi has signed a new law enabling children of active-duty military members to enroll in any school of their choice. This policy aims to alleviate some of the stress associated with frequent relocations faced by military families.
Florida’s school choice program is seeing a significant uptick in usage this school year, thanks to a recent expansion of eligibility criteria signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. All K-12 students in Florida are now eligible for funds that assist with private school tuition. This broadened access has particularly aided families in Volusia and Orange Counties, where thousands have already taken advantage of the opportunity.
roll in any school of their choice. This policy aims to alleviate some of the stress associated with frequent relocations faced by military families.
