January 24th 2012
Look out for Medicaid!
Although state tax collections are on the rise, and have returned to 2008 levels in many places, education advocates shouldnt kid themselves that the new normal of flat budgets and tough resource allocation decisions will soon come to an end. Spending on health care entitlements continues to grow rapidly, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers most recent report, while K-12 education loses ground as a share of state budgets.
The education reform community needs to think beyond the next levy referendum when it comes to providing resources to our schools. Health care reform — specifically, containing the cost of entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid — has become a major issue impacting American schools. Whi