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Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation Awards $100,000 to Support Programs That Build a Stronger, More Connected Rancho Bernardo
SAN DIEGO, California, Nov. 21 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:* * *
Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation Awards $100,000 to Support Programs That Build a Stronger, More Connected Rancho Bernardo
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Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation (RBCF), an affiliate of San Diego Foundation, celebrated 37 years of grantmaking by awarding $100,000 to 24 nonprofit organizations that help make Rancho Bernardo a great place to live, work and play.
Announced to more than 200 attendees at the Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, the grants will support a ... Show Full Article SAN DIEGO, California, Nov. 21 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release: * * * Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation Awards $100,000 to Support Programs That Build a Stronger, More Connected Rancho Bernardo * Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation (RBCF), an affiliate of San Diego Foundation, celebrated 37 years of grantmaking by awarding $100,000 to 24 nonprofit organizations that help make Rancho Bernardo a great place to live, work and play. Announced to more than 200 attendees at the Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, the grants will support awide range of social impact areas - including education, youth development, the arts and more.
"For 37 years, our community has come together to strengthen the programs and people who make our community a better place to call home," shared Debbie Kurth, RBCF Board President. "This year's 24 nonprofits are enriching lives every day; from helping older adults stay connected, to expanding arts and STEM programs for students, to supporting neighbors who need a little extra care. Their work shows what's possible when a community invests in one another."
RBCF has granted over $1.2 million to the nonprofit community in Rancho Bernardo through membership and fundraising programs, including the Pathway of Pride and the annual Thanksgiving luncheon. Grantmaking is bolstered by an endowment fund that supports the Rancho Bernardo community in perpetuity.
This year's 2024-25 grantees include:
* Best Buddies in California, School Friendship and Inclusion: $3,000 to build mutually enriching friendships between Rancho Bernardo Students'
* Ed Brown Center, Music for Seniors: $3,750 to support Defying Isolation & Dementia Through Music
* ElderHelp of San Diego: $3,000 to support legal and financial resources and care coordination for seniors working to stay connected and supported despite economic barriers
* Friends of the Rancho Bernardo Library, Concert Series: $5,000 to provide concerts to the public
* Let's Light the Cross : $2,500 to support lighting and upkeep of Battle Mountain Cross
* Meals on Wheels San Diego County : $5,000 to support Rancho Bernardo Senior Meal Delivery & Supportive Services, providing meals to seniors in need
* Morning Creek Elementary Foundation: $1,500 to support musical programs for elementary students
* Morning Creek Elementary School : Inform, Inspire, Innovate: Revitalizing Our Library for a Vibrant Rancho Bernardo: $2,750 to update library catalog
* Poway OnStage, Introduction to Instruments Program: $2,500 to support music education for 4 th grade students
* Poway OnStage, Professional Performance Series and Arts in Education Initiative: $7,500 to support live performances for students
* Poway Symphony Orchestra Foundation : $5,000 to provide symphony concerts for the community
* Rancho Bernardo High School Foundation: $5,000 to support the high school robotics team
* Rancho Bernardo High School Friends of the Library : $5,000 for the 21st Century Learning Center, providing a Smart TV and research subscription
* Rancho Bernardo High School PTSA : $5,000 for mental health support for high school students through a community building workshop
* Rancho Bernardo Historical Society Inc : $5,000 to preserve and digitize historic images
* Rancho Bernardo Science Olympiad : $2,000 to connect students and community together through the Science Olympiad, supporting STEM education and competition fees to high school students
* Rancho Bernardo Senior Services : $7,500 to provide free services - including tax prep, legal help, Medicare advice - to seniors
* Ride Above Disability Therapeutic Riding Center : $4,000 to the therapy rider show team, providing horse riding as therapy
* San Diego Oasis : $5,000 to support the San Diego Oasis' Intergenerational Tutoring Program, pairing older adult volunteers with K-4 students for literacy support
* The Continuing Education Center at Rancho Bernardo : $2,500 to provide history classes to seniors
* The RISE Concept : Resources in Support of Empowermen t: $2,500 to upgrade /software, supplies in order to provide support for young people experiencing adversity, trafficking survivors and veterans
* Tremble Clefs, San Diego : $5,000 to support a therapeutic singing program for people living with Parkinson's disease
* Voices for Children : $5,000 to recruit, train and supervise new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to support foster children
* YMCA of San Diego County, Teens in Motion at Rancho Bernardo High School: $5,000 to provide transportation costs for teens and young adults with disabilities
RBCF was founded by local leaders to give residents a meaningful way to invest in the wellbeing of Rancho Bernardo. Over the years, the organization has supported programs that address community needs across human services, youth and education, arts and culture and more.
To become a member, visit the RBCF website or contact us at rbcf@sdfoundation.org.
About Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation & the Regional Affiliate Program
Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation is part of San Diego Foundation's Regional Affiliate program which has attracted more than 1,000 individuals, corporations and community leaders who are investing in emerging needs in our region. Since its inception, affiliates have granted more than $10 million to nonprofit organizations, with endowments currently exceeding $8 million. For more information, please contact RA@sdfoundation.org.
About San Diego Foundation
San Diego Foundation believes in just, equitable and resilient communities where every San Diegan can prosper, thrive and feel like they belong. We partner with donors, nonprofits and regional leaders to co-create solutions that respond to community needs and strengthen San Diego. Since our founding in 1975, our community foundation has granted $1.8 billion to nonprofits to improve quality of life in San Diego County and beyond. Learn more at sdfoundation.org.
Media Contact
Hiram Soto, Director of Marketing & Communications
Email: hsoto@sdfoundation.org
Phone: 858-349-7940
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Original text here: https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/rancho-bernardo-community-foundation-awards-100000-to-support-programs-that-build-a-stronger-more-connected-rancho-bernardo/
Planning, Streamlining & Outreach Will Be Critical for MassHealth to Weather New Medicaid Rules, Says New Boston Indicators Report
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 21 (TNSrpt) -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:* * *
Planning, streamlining and outreach will be critical for MassHealth to weather new Medicaid rules, says new Boston Indicators report
Collaboration ahead of new Medicaid work and eligibility requirements needed to automate and streamline systems and manage costs, protect benefits for Mass. residents
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A new report from Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation, and the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College ... Show Full Article BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 21 (TNSrpt) -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025: * * * Planning, streamlining and outreach will be critical for MassHealth to weather new Medicaid rules, says new Boston Indicators report Collaboration ahead of new Medicaid work and eligibility requirements needed to automate and streamline systems and manage costs, protect benefits for Mass. residents * A new report from Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation, and the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch Collegeof Civic Life, finds that strategic decisions made between now and next January will play a determining role in how much federal Medicaid changes will affect enrollees in the state's MassHealth insurance plan. The report, A Massachusetts Model for Medicaid Work Requirements, explores the potential impact of new Medicaid work and eligibility requirements on the program, and lays out strategies for a new model that helps minimize the number of Mass. residents losing coverage.
"The new Medicaid requirements aren't a straight cut in benefits, but rather an effort to force people off Medicaid by complicating the work and documentation requirements for recipients," said Lee Pelton, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "Ultimately, the Commonwealth has a shared interest in ensuring Massachusetts residents have the tools and supports to manage the complexity and obtain insurance for themselves and their families. This report lays out what we need to do now to get those tools and supports in place."
The new rules, set to be implemented in January 2027 under the terms of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, eliminate eligibility for thousands of legal immigrants in Massachusetts, mandate that non-exempted adults aged 19-64 work or volunteer for 80 hours per month, and expand reporting requirements to maintain benefits eligibility. While the scale of disruption is difficult to estimate, three analyses project that 100,000 to 350,000 Massachusetts residents could lose coverage.
"While the specific regulations affecting MassHealth won't be known until next spring, we know that this is more than a financial issue - it will require us to begin building systems that are more flexible and simple, and planning outreach that ensures MassHealth enrollees are as prepared as possible," said Evan Horowitz, Director of the Center for State Policy Analysis. "Coordinated action will not only protect the state's most vulnerable residents from losing coverage, it will also address the budgetary issues and shape a system far less haphazard and burdensome than one that relies heavily on emergency care."
Using lessons learned from other states' experiences with implementing more stringent Medicaid requirements, the report lays out four suggested steps:
1. Use our discretion wisely.
2. Automate everything we can--exemptions, work requirements, income checks.
3. Make verifications and attestations as easy as possible.
4. Build a statewide ground game to reach the most vulnerable.
Leveraging existing data and streamlining technology could relieve significant burdens on recipients and reduce loss of coverage, and considering adjacent legislative changes to, for example, improve data systems and provide more robust safety nets for those who do lose coverage will also be crucial.
"There's no question this will be a challenge, but as a state with a track record as a leader and innovator in health insurance for our residents, Massachusetts is well-positioned to be a model for ways to minimize the impact of these Federal cuts," said Kimberly Goulart, Senior Research Analyst at Boston Indicators and co-author of the report. "But the longer we delay in planning, the less likely we will be to take advantage of that leadership opportunity."
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REPORT: https://www.bostonindicators.org/-/media/indicators/boston-indicators-reports/report-files/bi_medicaid110625_digital.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/press-releases/2025/november/medicaid-report-press-release
Nemours Children's Health Announces $5.2 million gift from the Daily's Foundation to Support New World-Class Conference Center
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Nov. 21 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:* * *
Nemours Children's Health Announces $5.2 million gift from the Daily's Foundation to Support New World-Class Conference Center
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Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville announced today a $5.2 million donation from the Daily's Foundation to support the creation of a world-class conference center at its specialty care location in downtown Jacksonville.
Nemours Children's and the Daily's Foundation have a longstanding partnership, reinforcing a shared mission to improve the health and well-being of ... Show Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Nov. 21 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release: * * * Nemours Children's Health Announces $5.2 million gift from the Daily's Foundation to Support New World-Class Conference Center * Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville announced today a $5.2 million donation from the Daily's Foundation to support the creation of a world-class conference center at its specialty care location in downtown Jacksonville. Nemours Children's and the Daily's Foundation have a longstanding partnership, reinforcing a shared mission to improve the health and well-being ofchildren and families. Since the partnership's inception in 2019, the Daily's Foundation has donated more than $10 million to elevate the health of children in Northeast Florida.
In 2020, the Daily's Foundation donated $5 million to support enhancements of facilities in Jacksonville, with a special focus on the Nemours Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders now known as THE PLAYERS Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The Daily's Foundation Pavilion at Nemours Children's specialty care location in downtown Jacksonville was officially dedicated in August 2021.
"The Daily's Foundation's gift helps Nemours to advance our academic mission. It creates a collaborative hub for healthcare professionals and community partners to develop approaches to improve the lives of children and families in Northeast Florida and beyond," said R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, President and CEO of Nemours Children's Health. "Daily's support underscores the power of community-driven partnerships in shaping a brighter future for the children we serve."
The gift will help revitalize and redevelop the first floor of the Daily's Foundation Pavilion into a multipurpose conference center, offering collaborative space for leaders from the private, nonprofit and public sectors to advance pediatric health. It will provide dedicated facilities for education, community engagement, and professional collaboration, further strengthening Nemours Children's leadership role in pediatric care and innovation.
Since partnering in 2019, the Daily's Foundation has launched multiple community fundraising campaigns, including the "Help Spread Hope to Children Everywhere" fundraising campaign in 78 of its stores across North Carolina and Florida. It has hosted the Daily's Foundation Charity Golf Tournament and organized the inaugural Daily's Foundation Concert at Daily's Place.
"This gift affirms our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of children and families in our community," said Aubrey Edge, President & CEO of Daily's. "We are honored to continue our partnership with Nemours Children's Health and to support the development of a world-class conference center in Jacksonville that will enhance education, foster innovation, and strengthen their outstanding programs and clinicians. The Daily's Foundation is proud to stand alongside Nemours Children's Health in shaping a healthier future for our community."
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website with health information written for parents, kids and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
About Daily's
Daily's is a privately held, Jacksonville, Florida-based, convenience store chain featuring deluxe offerings, made-to-order food and the best facilities. Their goal is to give customers a nicer convenience store experience. Daily's Dash, their deli cafe, features freshly carved, all-natural deli meats and cheeses. Daily's Dash serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring specialty sandwiches, salads, desserts, soft-serve ice cream, smoothies and coffee drinks. All Daily's sell high-quality Shell gasoline and are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for their customers' convenience. Learn more about Daily's at http://www.dailys.com/.
The Daily's Foundation and the Community
The Daily's Foundation supports many charities, contributing millions of dollars over the past 10 years to St. Vincent's Mobile Health Outreach Ministry, Nemours Children's Health, K9's for Warriors, among others. Daily's Place is Jacksonville's premier downtown venue for music and entertainment.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/news-releases?item=123200
Legacy of Bad Policy Choices in Health and Care Undermined the UK's COVID-19 Response
LONDON, England, Nov. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:* * *
A legacy of bad policy choices in health and care undermined the UK's COVID-19 response
Responding to the UK COVID-19 inquiry Modules 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, Report (https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/JDtOC5Q9XU02Nk4IzflCkUgoz?domain=74n5c4m7.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me), Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said:
'Today, the COVID Inquiry laid bare how a series of delays, inaction and failures in the pandemic response worsened the impact for individuals, communities, ... Show Full Article LONDON, England, Nov. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025: * * * A legacy of bad policy choices in health and care undermined the UK's COVID-19 response Responding to the UK COVID-19 inquiry Modules 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, Report (https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/JDtOC5Q9XU02Nk4IzflCkUgoz?domain=74n5c4m7.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me), Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said: 'Today, the COVID Inquiry laid bare how a series of delays, inaction and failures in the pandemic response worsened the impact for individuals, communities,and health and care services.
'The response to the pandemic was shaped and constrained by policy choices made years earlier. Health and care services were ill-prepared to respond to a pandemic in 2020: persistent underinvestment in capital infrastructure left the NHS woefully exposed to surges in capacity; underfunded and understaffed social care services struggled to manage rising demand, and health data systems, vital to managing infectious health threats, weren't ready for the demands of a pandemic. And some key wider determinants of health - such as incomes and local infrastructure - were deteriorating, affecting people's health and increasing vulnerability to COVID-19.
'In 2020, health in the UK was notably poor. Life expectancy was stalling, preventable health risks were widespread, and significant health inequalities persisted. These inequalities contributed to COVID-19 disproportionately affecting some groups - such as disabled people, some ethnic minority communities, and care home residents.
'More than five years on from the first cases of COVID-19, many of these shortcomings in health and care have not been addressed. If the UK is to be more resilient in the face of future national health emergencies, long-term policy action is needed across multiple fronts. As well as improving Whitehall's readiness to manage crises, action is needed to strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of health and care services; fundamentally reform adult social care services; and implement a cross-government strategy to improve health and reduce inequalities.'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/press-releases/a-legacy-of-bad-policy-choices-in-health-and-care-undermined-the-uk-s-covid-19-response
K-12 Education Spending Spotlight 2025 - Annual Public School Spending Nears $1 Trillion
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 21 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 20, 2025:* * *
K-12 Education Spending Spotlight 2025: Annual public school spending nears $1 trillion
Eight states spend more than $25,000 per student: New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Rhode Island and Hawaii. Public school enrollment fell in 39 states from 2020 to 2023.
By Aaron Garth Smith and Jordan Campbell
This decade could go down as one of the most consequential in the history of U.S. public education. Between COVID-19 school closures, historic declines ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 21 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 20, 2025: * * * K-12 Education Spending Spotlight 2025: Annual public school spending nears $1 trillion Eight states spend more than $25,000 per student: New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Rhode Island and Hawaii. Public school enrollment fell in 39 states from 2020 to 2023. By Aaron Garth Smith and Jordan Campbell This decade could go down as one of the most consequential in the history of U.S. public education. Between COVID-19 school closures, historic declinesin public school enrollment, and the rise in school choice policies, the decisions made by state lawmakers in the coming years will help shape generations to come.
Policymakers must have the best data possible to inform their public education decisions. The following analysis from Reason Foundation's K-12 Education Spending Spotlight brings together the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics and highlights five key insights from our tool and their implications for state policymakers and other stakeholders.
These critical insights include examining and ranking every state's total K-12 and per student public school funding, the public school enrollment levels in every state and how states continue to hire more non-teaching staff even as they lose students, how and why teachers' salaries are failing to keep up with inflation in nearly every state, how much public school funding is increasingly being shifted to cover pension debt, and the disappointing student scores on key standardized tests since the pandemic.
Total U.S. public school funding is approaching $1 trillion and now exceeds $25,000 per student in eight states.
Nationwide, public school funding increased by 35.8% between 2002 and 2023, rising from $14,969 per student to $20,322 per student after adjusting for inflation, Reason Foundation's K-12 Education Spending Spotlight finds.
In total, U.S. public schools received $946.5 billion in funding in 2023, with New York topping all states at $36,976 per student, followed by New Jersey at $30,267 per student.
Notably, eight states exceeded $25,000 per student in 2023: New York, New Jersey, Vermont ($29,169 per student), Connecticut ($28,975), Pennsylvania ($26,242), California ($25,941), Rhode Island ($25,709), and Hawaii ($25,485).
The lowest-spending state, Idaho, was the only state spending less than $12,000 per student. Utah, Oklahoma and North Carolina spent less than $14,000 per student.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest increase in per-student spending has occurred in California, rising 31.5% from $19,724 in 2020 to $25,941 in 2023.
Michigan, Kentucky and Missouri were the next biggest percentage increasers, all spending 17% more per student in 2023 compared to 2020.
Per student spending also rose by over 15% from 2020 to 2023 in Hawaii, New Mexico, Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama.
Nationally, compared to pre-pandemic levels, K-12 funding is up by 8.6%, rising by $1,610 per student in real terms between 2020 and 2023. However, the bulk of these new education dollars, since 2020 - approximately $1,181 per student - are from the $190 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding that public schools received during the pandemic. While non-federal dollars increased by $429 per student during this time, this is a departure from pre-pandemic trends, when state and local funding rose by $1,089 per student between 2017 and 2020.
Policy implications of K-12 funding levels
For policymakers, K-12 funding has increased dramatically in the past couple of decades, with public schools in all 50 states seeing substantial increases. However, with federal pandemic relief funding now expired, combined with rising economic uncertainty, declining public school enrollment, and increased competition from school choice and homeschooling, the era of unrelenting public school funding growth may be coming to an end. Public school funding is at record levels, and state and local policymakers should shift the focus to maximizing the impact of existing K-12 dollars in ways that can improve student outcomes.
Public school funding is increasingly spent on employee benefits, including teacher pensions.
Inflation-adjusted K-12 education spending on employee benefits - which includes teacher pensions, health insurance, and other expenses - increased by 81.1% between 2002 and 2023, rising from $2,221 per student to $4,022 per student, Reason Foundation's analysis shows.
In comparison, real spending on employee salaries grew modestly, rising from $8,449 per student to $9,098 per student, a 7.7% increase. As a result, for every new $1 that public schools spent on employee salaries between 2002 and 2023, benefit expenditures rose by $3.27. In 12 states, growth of employee benefits exceeded 100%, including Hawaii (194.1%), Vermont (171.3%), Illinois (169.9%), New Jersey (167.1%), and Pennsylvania (166.4%), as shown in Table 2.
In 2023, employee benefit costs in New Jersey were $8,333 per student. In New York, the cost was $7,949 per student. Vermont and Connecticut also spent more than $7,000 on employee benefits per student they serve.
Employee benefit costs also exceeded $5,000 per student in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Wyoming, and Alaska.
Policy implications of rising benefits costs on K-12 spending
Research shows that teacher pension debt is the primary driver of rising benefit spending. For years, states have failed to set aside enough money to cover the pension benefits promised to teachers, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities (i.e., the difference between the total pension benefits owed to teachers and the dollars available in pension funds). Today, this means that more K-12 education funding must be used to cover pension costs, even while many states have reduced benefits for teachers, rather than in classrooms.
Policymakers should take steps to reverse this trend by paying down pension debt as fast as possible to avoid high-interest costs and modernizing antiquated assumptions and benefit designs. Otherwise, pension costs will continue to eat up a greater share of teachers' paychecks and school districts' budgets.
Despite plummeting enrollment, the surge in public school staffing has persisted.
Between 2002 and 2023, the number of public school staff increased by 15.1%, while student enrollment grew by only 4.1%. The bulk of new K-12 hires were non-teachers, which increased by 22.8%, such as counselors, social workers, speech pathologists, and instructional aides.
In comparison, the number of teachers rose by 7.6% during this time. Nationwide, non-teaching staff now account for over half, 52.5%, of all public school employees, up from 49.2% in 2002. Table 3 shows the growth in non-teaching staff, while Table 4 displays enrollment growth.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public school staffing surge has persisted. Despite public school enrollment falling by 1.18 million students between 2020 and 2023, public schools added over 81,000 non-teaching staff to their payrolls during that period.
For example, California has lost 318,532 students since 2020, but has added 3,400 non-teaching staff members, while New York has lost 159,701 students but has added 6,996 non-teaching staff members.
Public school enrollment fell in 39 states from 2020 to 2023.
The 2% increases in public school enrollment in Idaho and North Dakota were the largest gains in the country. The only other states where public school enrollment grew from 2020 to 2023 were South Dakota, Delaware, Louisiana, Utah, Alabama, Montana, Texas, Florida and South Carolina.
With a 6% decrease in public school enrollment, Hawaii has experienced the largest decline in public school students since the pandemic. Enrollment also decreased by more than five percent in New York, Mississippi, Oregon, and California, and by at least four percent in New Mexico, New Hampshire, Illinois, West Virginia, Colorado, Kentucky, Washington, Rhode Island, and Michigan, according to Reason Foundation's analysis.
Policy implications of decreased public school enrollment and current staff sizes
With the National Center for Education Statistics projecting a 5.3% decline in public school enrollment between 2024 and 2032, current staffing levels are unsustainable. School closures are on the horizon in places like Boston, Houston, Seattle, and Oakland, but it will also be important to reduce staffing to levels that match enrollment.
To minimize the need for layoffs, school districts can leverage staff resignations and retirements, while also giving greater scrutiny to costly across-the-board pay increases. Critically, public schools should also consider the return on investment from decades of adding non-teaching personnel to their payrolls and whether this aligns with their core educational mission.
The average teacher salary has declined significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nationwide, the average inflation-adjusted teacher salary fell from $75,152 in 2002 to $70,548 in 2022, the most recent year with complete data available, a 6.1% decline, Reason Foundation finds.
However, most of this drop in teachers' salaries occurred in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2002 and 2020, the average teacher salary remained virtually flat, decreasing by 0.6% to $74,698 - but then from 2020 to 2022, it dropped by $4,151, or 5.6%.
From 2020 to 2022, the average teacher's salary decreased by more than five percent in 38 states. They declined the most in North Carolina (-9.6%), New Mexico (-8.8%), South Carolina (-8.7%), West Virginia (-8.6%), and Mississippi (-8.2%).
Only one state, Minnesota, increased teachers' salaries after the pandemic.
As a result of the decreases following the pandemic, only 10 states experienced positive gains in average teacher salary between 2002 and 2022, with Washington (18.6%), New York (12%), and Massachusetts (11.7%) leading the list, as shown in Table 5.
In comparison, three states saw teacher salaries decline by more than 20% from 2002 to 2022: North Carolina, Michigan, and Indiana.
Policy implications of teachers' salaries declining
For over two decades, large and regular increases in public school funding haven't boosted teacher salaries, and this is unlikely to change without structural reforms.
First, it's important to understand why teacher salaries stagnated between 2002 and 2020. Public school revenue grew by $3,742 per student (25%) during this period, but funding increasingly went to cover the costs of support services spending, which rose by $1,135 per student (25.4%), and employee benefits, which increased by $1,745 per student (78.6%).
Because teacher pay is tied to years of experience and educational attainment - and teacher salaries vary substantially by state - it's also possible that demographic shifts in the teacher population contributed to the observed trends. However, available federal data make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. While the share of teachers with over 20 years of experience has declined, educational attainment has increased, with the proportion of teachers holding only a bachelor's degree falling over time.
What drove the decline in teacher salaries between 2020 and 2022?
Teacher turnover and other factors played a role, but historic inflation levels were likely the most significant factor. In the 2022 school year, the average monthly price level was 9.6% higher than it had been just two years earlier, negating funding increases from state legislatures and eating into teacher paychecks. Large and widespread increases in nominal pay would've been required just for teacher salaries to keep pace with inflation, let alone increase, during these years.
For policymakers, the key takeaway is that public school spending decisions, combined with rising pension costs, are eating into teachers' paychecks. Even if teacher demographics have shifted over time, school officials are increasingly prioritizing spending education funding on non-teaching personnel, while unfunded pension liabilities also consume a larger share of K-12 dollars.
Student outcomes were falling even before the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record funding levels.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the gold standard for measuring national and state K-12 outcomes in math, reading, and other subjects. While the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) publishes average scale scores that are precise, they also publish more intuitive proficiency levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.
Importantly, the proficient benchmark is an aggressive target that doesn't equate with grade-level proficiency or meeting state standards. According to NCES, "Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter." For this reason, our analysis focuses on the share of students who perform below the basic performance threshold.
Across all four subjects examined - 4th and 8th-grade math and reading - the trend is clear: the share of students scoring below NAEP basic fell between 2003 and 2013, increased by 2019, and then grew sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Except for 4th-grade math, scores regressed again from 2022 to 2024, and outcomes in all four subjects were worse in 2024 than in 2003. These figures are presented in Table 6 below.
For low-income students, a similar trend is observed, as shown in Table 7. Student performance improved from 2003 to 2013, worsened before the pandemic in 2019, and then dropped dramatically in 2022.
By 2024, low-income 8th graders fared worse than they did in 2003, while 4th-grade students still performed slightly better. Notably, performance in three of the four subjects was worse in 2024 than in 2022.
Policy implications of NAEP scores
For policymakers, a pressing concern is the widespread failure of public schools to get students back up to speed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite receiving $190 billion in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency (ESSER) relief funding during the pandemic.
Research shows that public schools were given more than enough money to reopen safely; yet, many used the windfall to prioritize things other than academics, even as students fell behind. For instance, researchers at Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab estimate that approximately 20% of the federal pandemic relief dollars were allocated to school facilities, including building repairs and HVAC upgrades. While this was permitted under the law - and some public schools used their federal relief funds wisely - ESSER was a policy failure, especially when viewed through the lens of student achievement.
It's also notable that, even before the pandemic, student outcomes were trending downward despite record education funding levels across states. For example, 34% of 4th graders and 27% of 8th graders scored below basic on NAEP reading in 2019. While gains were made between 2003 and 2013, a large share of students still scored below the lowest performance threshold in this peak year.
Conclusion
In the years ahead, policymakers will need to address a complex set of K-12 challenges, including declining public school enrollment, bloated staffing for current and projected enrollment levels, mounting pension costs and debt, stagnant teacher salaries, and underwhelming academic outcomes. These problems arose during a period when public schools saw historic funding increases, and money alone won't solve them.
Instead, lawmakers will need policy solutions that address their root causes and maximize the use of existing K-12 funding. Reason Foundation's K-12 Education Spending Spotlight aims to help them get started.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/k12-ed-spending/2025-spotlight/
Building Proficient Learners
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 21 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following news:* * *
Building Proficient Learners
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How homeschooling can address the UCSD "Math Preparation Problem."
Recently, a colleague handed me an article by The Free Press, " The College Kids Who Can't Do Basic Math," and asked for my thoughts. The article cited a November 6, 2025, report from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), which revealed that the math skills of approximately one in eight of their first-year students were below middle-school level. In the wake of earlier reports of Harvard ... Show Full Article DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 21 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following news: * * * Building Proficient Learners * How homeschooling can address the UCSD "Math Preparation Problem." Recently, a colleague handed me an article by The Free Press, " The College Kids Who Can't Do Basic Math," and asked for my thoughts. The article cited a November 6, 2025, report from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), which revealed that the math skills of approximately one in eight of their first-year students were below middle-school level. In the wake of earlier reports of Harvardoffering remedial math classes, the fact that UCSD was offering similar classes was not surprising. As I processed what I was reading, I wrestled with conflicting internal responses.
On the one hand, I was shocked by the number of students needing remedial classes. The UCSD numbers represented an astounding jump from 1% of students needing remediation back in 2021 to 12.5% of students needing remediation just four years later. According to the report, factors contributing to this increase included persistent learning losses due to the pandemic, the elimination of standardized testing, grade inflation, and increased admissions from "under-resourced high schools." On one hand, I was absolutely floored by those numbers. At the same time, however, I was not surprised that these students needed remediation in elementary and middle school math concepts. An EdChoice article discussing the 2024 NAEP scores noted that only 22% of 12th-grade students were proficient or above in math, and only 35% were proficient or above in reading. On top of this, in August of this year, I witnessed firsthand the reality of the "math preparation problem."
During the first week of classes, my son, a freshman in the honors program at his university, called home asking if I could hop on Zoom and help one of his peers with math. This student was struggling with work that appeared to be from a remedial algebra course. My son quickly added that he was unable to offer assistance to his friend because, at that moment, he was helping another student understand basic fractions. Once again, I was stunned, experiencing in real time what I had previously only read about. Here were two college freshmen students, struggling with math concepts that were typically mastered in elementary and middle school. The UCSD report would call these students "underprepared" and their situations representative of "The Math Preparation Problem."
The UCSD report also noted concerns surrounding grade inflation and lowered standards, further contributing to the lack of math preparation. Ultimately, there was a clear disconnect between students' reported learning, i.e., grades and transcripts, and their actual knowledge. These issues led to improper course placement, and often students would perform poorly or fully withdraw from their college math classes.
Reflecting on the math journeys of my homeschooled children, I believe homeschooling, especially as we have accomplished it at eXtend Homeschool Tutorial, can be one way of addressing and overcoming these "preparation" problems. My oldest daughter initially struggled with math in high school; however, during her two years at community college, she served as a math teaching assistant. My oldest son also struggled initially, but by the end of high school, he was the top student in his math class, and his instructor said that he could practically teach the class! My middle daughter complained throughout her college Statistics class, yet ultimately earned an A. I've already mentioned my youngest son, who is now tutoring his college classmates in math. While none of my children would have initially labeled themselves "mathies" during high school, each graduated fully prepared for college math and ultimately excelled in it. I believe they successfully navigated what could have been a "math preparation problem" in large part because of the steps we took as homeschoolers.
From the beginning of my children's homeschooling journeys, mastering the fundamentals of each subject was a core objective. For math, that meant ensuring my children knew basic math facts through hands-on learning with math manipulatives, real-world application (counting and applying math facts in the grocery store), and hours of listening to math jingles in the car. I can trace the long-term success my kids experienced with math back to the time we spent building a foundation for learning.
At eXtend, because we focus on mastering concepts, there is neither grade inflation nor the "pass through" culture sometimes found in more traditional settings. The curriculum our math instructors use spiralspast learned concepts are regularly revisited even as new ones are introduced so that students retain mathematical concepts for the long haul. In the past, I have seen students utilize a curriculum that focuses on one topic exclusively, and once the student has mastered that concept, the curriculum moves to another. However, previously learned concepts aren't revisited, and without that regular reinforcement, students don't retain the knowledge as well as they would if there were opportunities for periodic review. Students using that type of curriculum prior to coming to our program typically have significant gaps that must be addressed, often through summer prep or supplemental tutoring. Additionally, we don't move students to the next level of math if they haven't demonstrated proficiency and met the prerequisites.
The curriculum we use at eXtend contains built-in regular assessments to help measure student progress. In both Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, students take weekly tests at home to measure progress and identify areas that may need further reinforcement. These assessments closely follow their homework, and I often tell students that if they are completing homework, the take-home tests should be a breeze, and they usually are. If there is an area that needs strengthening, we will take time to address this. For example, I recently conducted a focused session with my Algebra 1 class to address errors that were consistently popping up with signed numbers and order of operations. By the end of that session, the students had developed long-term strategies to ensure consistent success as they moved forward.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the power of " do-overs," and homeschooling offers both the flexibility of modifying the pace of instruction to ensure students fully grasp concepts, as well as the opportunity to repeat a class as needed without experiencing negative backlash. The truth is, some students need additional time to "catch" math. Once they do, they typically flourish. That was the case with my oldest son, who repeated both Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, and went on to ace Algebra II, Geometry, and college math. My youngest son, who is now tutoring his college classmates, repeated Pre-Algebra and, as an incoming freshman, tested out of College Algebra and into Statistics, and is also ready for Calculus. Taking the necessary additional time to solidify learning, instead of prematurely promoting them ahead of their capabilities, translated into long-term success in math for all of my children.
At eXtend, our math instructors work together to ensure students are prepared for each subsequent level of math. They discuss their expectations of students coming into each of their classes with the instructor who teaches the earlier level of math, and follow up with check-ins, sometimes as frequently as every quarter, to ensure students have mastered the prerequisite skills. At the end of the year, math instructors discuss student progress and readiness, and if a student needs to repeat a class or if supplemental instruction is needed before moving on, those opportunities are offered. For example, both Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 offer a summer boot camp for students who want or need to strengthen their skills prior to entering those classes. Ultimately, our students benefit from this level of communication and camaraderie as the instructors work together with each other and with parents to equip students for success that will carry them long after they graduate from our program.
Finally, at eXtend, we equip our students to dual enroll in college classes no later than their senior year of high school. We advise our students to take core classes at the local community college, including College Algebra, Statistics, or Calculus, as high schoolers. This provides additional preparation not just for math, but for collegiate life, and increases the likelihood of a smooth transition during the freshman year. Moreover, our students' success with dual enrollment benefits them as they apply to colleges and apply for scholarships. The appearance of college classes on a student's transcript communicates that the student has demonstrated the capacity to navigate the expectations and rigors of college classes.
Much of what we do at eXtend mirrors the recommendations made in the UCSD report to address the math preparation problem. The success we've experienced with our students signals to us that homeschooling, and other alternatives to conventional schooling like microschooling, can serve as one potential solution to the concerns expressed by UCSD, experienced by other colleges and universities, and reflected in the 2024 NAEP scores. Learning from innovative education models is one means of addressing all of this.
This article originally ran at FEE's Education Entrepreneurship Lab.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/building-proficient-learners/
Broad Coalition Condemns Trump Administration's Plans to Expand Offshore Drilling Off U.S. Coasts
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 21 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:* * *
Broad Coalition Condemns Trump Administration's Plans to Expand Offshore Drilling Off U.S. Coasts
New plan proposes 34 lease sales, inviting oil and gas industry to hoard leases and make profits at taxpayer expense
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The U.S. Department of the Interior has released a draft offshore drilling plan that proposes 34 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and California. This offshore drilling plan includes areas where oil and gas drilling has never happened before and places ... Show Full Article BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 21 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release: * * * Broad Coalition Condemns Trump Administration's Plans to Expand Offshore Drilling Off U.S. Coasts New plan proposes 34 lease sales, inviting oil and gas industry to hoard leases and make profits at taxpayer expense * The U.S. Department of the Interior has released a draft offshore drilling plan that proposes 34 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and California. This offshore drilling plan includes areas where oil and gas drilling has never happened before and placeswhere lease sales have not been held for decades. There will be a 60-day comment period for the public to weigh in on the draft plan.
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) joined with many other organizations in opposition to the plan.
"This irresponsible draft proposal presents a grave threat to the United States' marine ecosystem, our coastal communities, and the robust fisheries, tourism, and other industries that depend upon abundant and diverse marine life," said CLF Vice President for Ocean Conservation Priscilla Brooks. "From start to finish, oil and gas leasing, seismic exploration, and development of projects are risky, harmful, and unnecessary. Opening our waters to oil and gas drilling will only fuel the climate crisis and put us at risk of catastrophic oil spills. We need to transition to safer, renewable forms of energy, not expand dangerous, dirty fossil fuel infrastructure."
Holding more lease sales will primarily benefit oil and gas speculators, rather than American taxpayers. Coastal economies generate billions of dollars in revenue and support millions of jobs in industries such as tourism, fishing, and recreation. Almost all offshore drilling in the U.S. -- 99 percent of it -- takes place in the Gulf, with the rest happening off the coast of Alaska. Communities in both regions have been burdened with ongoing harm to public health, ways of life, and their environments. Communities in the Gulf are still recovering and suffering from the BP Horizon oil spill disaster, which cost over $60 billion in clean-up costs.
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Additional statements in response:
"Our country continues to use the Gulf of Mexico as a sacrifice zone to the oil and gas industry. The Trump Administration's plan to open areas in the eastern Gulf off of Florida, which have been protected under previous moratoriums, is reckless and dangerous for our working waterfronts, endangered species, and vital tourism," said Martha Collins, Executive Director for Healthy Gulf. "Our communities, our visitors, and our wildlife in Florida do not deserve the history of neglect that the oil and gas industry has left in the Gulf."
"Adding 21 areas off Alaska's coast in the offshore plan isn't just misguided, it is a dangerous gamble with irreplaceable public waters and communities that rely on them," said Emma Powell, Federal Advocacy Manager at Alaska Wilderness League. "Industry walked away from Arctic waters decades ago because even they weren't comfortable with the risks associated with Arctic Ocean drilling and now is not the time to reopen that door. An oil spill in the Arctic Ocean would be nothing short of apocalyptic for coastal communities, irreplaceable wildlife, and the climate. This leasing program should not move forward."
"The Trump administration appears to have taken aim specifically at places that have been protected for years because of the importance of their marine ecosystems, their fisheries, and their coastal economies," said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. "What does it say when our leaders declare those values meaningless in comparison to big oil."
"The federal government's offshore oil drilling plan will damage coastlines and communities, while threatening coastal recreation and tourism industries that contribute billions of dollars to our nation's economy. Offshore drilling is highly unpopular across the country and will increase the likelihood of yet another destructive oil spill off our coasts. Surfrider Foundation's chapter network will fight this proposal vigorously to protect all U.S. coastlines from the unnecessary risks involved with new offshore drilling." Pete Stauffer, Ocean Protection Manager, Surfrider Foundation.
"In Santa Barbara we know first-hand the danger of offshore oil drilling. The catastrophic 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill and the 2015 Plains Oil Spill are examples that there is no way to drill for new oil without causing devastating impacts to our coastal environment, tourism and recreation, and economy." Maggie Hall, Deputy Chief Counsel, Environmental Defense Center.
"This plan is a dangerous gift to the oil and gas industry at the expense of our planet and shared future. This administration wants to open vast new areas of the West Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska to drilling - gutting environmental safeguards and endangering communities in the process. Latino voters across the country, and across party lines, overwhelmingly reject more offshore drilling, as seen in our 2024 National Azul Poll. Our communities have lived the consequences of oil spills and pollution, and they are calling on our leaders to move us beyond fossil fuels," said Marce Gutierrez-Graudins, Founder and Executive Director, Azul.
"The Trump administration is threatening to impose offshore oil drilling on states, cities, and communities that have fought against it for decades," said Earthjustice senior attorney Brettny Hardy. "Trump's plan would risk the health and well-being of millions of people who live along our coasts. It would also devastate countless ocean ecosystems that both humans and wildlife rely on. This administration continues to put the oil industry above people, our shared environment, and the law."
"Donald Trump and Doug Burgum are once again trying to sell out our coastal communities and our public waters in favor of corporate polluters' bottom line," said Sierra Club Executive Director Loren Blackford. "Americans across the political spectrum have made it clear they oppose offshore drilling. We know the risks are far too great, threatening ecosystems and coastal economies with the risk of spills that would take decades to clean up. Despite overwhelming bipartisan opposition, Trump and Burgum are moving forward with their reckless plan to serve their ultimate goal of handing over our public lands and waters to Big Oil CEOs. These lease sales are privatization in everything but name - a 'keep out' sign is the same whether an area was sold or leased. The Sierra Club will continue to stand with coastal communities and work to stop this reckless plan dead in the water."
"There's a reason that hundreds of communities and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in our region vehemently opposed offshore drilling when it was first proposed - the threats of oil spills to our communities, ecosystems, and economies are too great to risk. We share the deep concerns of communities in the Gulf and elsewhere that face the possibility of disastrous pollution from offshore drilling." Megan Huynh, Leader of the Wetlands and Coasts Program, Southern Environmental Law Center.
"As if selling off our public lands weren't enough, the Trump administration's new offshore drilling plan aims to hand our ocean to oil companies. Opening California, the Gulf of Mexico, parts of Florida, and large areas of Alaska puts coastal economies, communities, and wildlife at risk," said Taryn Kiewkow Hiemer, director, Ocean Energy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "Worse, pushing into the Arctic is especially reckless as clean-up is nearly impossible in the hostile conditions that exist there.The people of these states have been clear that they don't want this off their coasts, threatening their livelihoods and way of life. We should be building affordable, reliable renewables, not padding the oil industry's profits."
"We have learned devastating lessons from the impacts of offshore oil development off California, in the Gulf, and elsewhere. We know that the foundation of thriving coastal communities and their economies is a healthy, vibrant ocean. We hope Californians and all Americans can act together, once again, to ensure a future free of the threat of offshore drilling." Julie Packard, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
"Trump is once again trying to implement his stale idea of opening the majority of our nation's ocean space to destructive offshore oil and gas development. Yet we know that coastal communities around the country do not want to risk their waters to the pollution and destruction drilling often brings. This administration fails to grasp even the most basic concept of benefits versus costs - the economic, community health, and human costs to this plan that would willy-nilly offer our ocean to the highest, most greedy bidder. " Sarah Winter Whelan, Executive Director, Healthy Ocean Coalition
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Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/broad-coalition-condemns-trump-administrations-plans-to-expand-offshore-drilling-off-u-s-coasts/