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Topics covered by board members, principals include transportation, absenteeism and student mental health. The post Building needs assessment prompts wide-ranging discussion at KCK school board meeting appeared first on The Beacon.

The candidates themselves are not the only ones raising and spending money in South Dakota’s race for governor. Political action committees not officially associated with the candidates have spent over $1.3 million in recent months, and new campaign finance reports show where some of the money came from.  The June 2 Republican primary includes Gov. […]

Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessee’s free newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools.Shouts and cheers reached around a South Memphis block Tuesday morning from families at Ida B. Wells Academy, a K-8 school that Memphis-Shelby County board members voted to close at the end of this year. As the school days dwindle, 84 students and a small team of staff are trying to suck every last drop of joy out of the building the school has called home for decades. There was an eighth-grade student awards ceremony last week. Friday was field day. And Tuesday was graduation. At 10 a.m., students sat in dark blue caps and gowns near the cafeteria stage waiting for their name to be called. Family members burst into applause so loud the emcee had to cover his ears as each student collected their certificate. There was an air of sadness as the new graduates passed out yellow roses to their teary-eyed parents, and uncertainty about what’s coming next. In February, the Memphis-Shelby County school board voted to shut down Ida B. Wells Academy in a slate of school closures aimed at reducing chronic underenrollment and high facility costs. But while Wells will no longer be in the same building, school staff and families say the district made a last-minute decision to transfer the program to Norris Achievement Academy, another alternative school four miles south. A flyer passed out at graduation reads, “We are moving!” promising the “same dedicated teachers & students” at Norris next year. But it’s unclear whether that’s different from plans for other school closures, which will disperse students into nearby schools and relocate teachers throughout the district. MSCS leaders did not respond to multiple requests for comment clarifying the transfer decision. Superintendent Roderick Richmond said the district was considering that option in February. But some parents then expressed concern about sending their children to Norris, which only enrolls students that have been expelled from other schools. “We know a lot of you all have chosen other [school] options because of the late change in keeping Ida B. Wells open,” Principal Tarcia Gilliam-Parish said during Tuesday’s ceremony. “But we are glad, thankful, and grateful that we are going to be here.”School staff and family members said Tuesday that only current Ida B. Wells students would be able to transfer to the new location. Lois Eldridge, whose eighth-grade grandson graduated Tuesday, praised the school’s dedicated teachers and safe environment. She wanted her granddaughter to start there next year. “I just hate that my other grandkids couldn’t get to go here,” Eldridge said. Some parents have already made the decision to move their children to different schools next year. Erica Smith told Chalkbeat in March that she’s sending one child to the Soulsville Charter School and another to arts-focused magnet school Rozelle Elementary. For months, Ida B. Wells’ parents questioned why a school with high student test scores and academic growth should be closed. But MSCS leaders said the building is severely underenrolled, with more than 400 open seats, and needs almost $6 million worth of facility repairs. It’s part of Richmond’s plan to close up to 10 more schools by 2028. Carla James has a granddaughter in third grade at Ida B. Wells this year. She said the family is planning to send her to Norris Academy next year to be with her teachers and maintain longstanding school ties.“I used to go here when I was younger,” James said. “We’re going to be really sad without it.”Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.

It is too late for another candidate to get on the June primary ballot in Colorado, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to back a primary challenger against longtime ally U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.  Boebert, a Windsor Republican, joined U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie at several campaign events in Kentucky last week as he faced a primary […]

A man from Humble, Texas, U.S., pled guilty to purchasing tails and sets of feathers from illegally killed bald and golden eagles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.   John Patrick Butler, 71, was sentenced May 5 to five years of probation and ordered to pay $77,500 in restitution.  The bald […]

The new translation feature on officer body cameras would help remove language barriers, officials said. Stockton police roll out live AI language translation software for body cameras is a story from Stocktonia News, a rigorous and factual newsroom covering Greater Stockton, California. Please consider making a charitable contribution to support our journalism.

(The Center Square) - University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Cliff Mass says the Washington Department of Ecology should “definitively correct misinformation being pushed” about a pending drought emergency. The claim that this summer represents a drought emergency for Washington State is “simply and demonstrably false,” wrote Mass in a May 18 blog post. In a Tuesday interview with The Center Square, Mass said reservoirs are fuller than normal, and annual precipitation is at or above normal. “If the reservoirs are full, and they are full, and they’re going to remain full for a little while, there’s never been a problem,” Mass said. “The facts are so damn clear.” Karin Bumbaco, Deputy State Climatologist at the University of Washington disagrees with Mass’s assessment that there will be no drought emergency. “Washington State has a drought definition written into state law. It allows for the drought to be declared before conditions are really being felt, right?" said Bumbaco in a Tuesday interview with The Center Square. "So, part of it is to prepare for conditions that might be coming later in the spring and summer, and that's exactly what the state has done,” she added. Mass writes about the situation in detail in his blog. “Much of Yakima and Kittitas agriculture gets its water from the Yakima River, with some contributions from the Columbia on the eastern side. Everyone agrees that the Columbia will have plenty of water this year, so there is no suggestion of drought for the majority of the irrigated land in eastern Washington.” Snowpack is down for 2026, peaking at just 52% of normal on April 1. That deficit is what prompted Ecology to issue a statewide emergency drought declaration. Mass says snowpack is only critical for water supply in late spring and early summer. “During the middle and end of summer when they [agricultural interests] really need the water, it’s the reservoirs,” Mass said. “There will be no problem, because those reservoirs are full. It’s as simple as that.” Bumbaco agreed with part of that assessment. “I agree with him in the sense that current conditions right now at this very moment look good,” said Bumbaco. “We're under overcast skies and we've had a little bit of a rainy period. Our reservoirs are full, but what we're looking at is how we expect things to get worse over the spring and summer.” She noted having conversations this week with members of the Roza Irrigation District about water restrictions for growers with junior water rights, who will begin seeing reduced water this week. “We have been informed this morning that prorationing will occur on Thursday May 21. Roza crews will begin shutting the system down Thursday morning,” noted a post on the Roza Irrigation District site Tuesday. “We will be off for about 10 days (from the cessation of diversions at Roza dam on May 21). The exact length of the shutdown will be determined next week based on the weather forecast.” Bumbaco said future projections don't bode well. “We know for sure that the reduced water supply in and of itself is an issue,” said Bumbaco. "So right now, the US Bureau of Reclamation is estimating that the total water supply available for May through September is only 52% of a normal allotment for the junior water users. So. that in and of itself is an impact in my view.” Still, Mass suggests Ecology and those insisting there is a drought emergency are pushing a climate change agenda without facts to back up their policy. “The Drought Emergency Declaration by Washington State should be dropped immediately. Washington State residents deserve accurate information," Mass wrote in his May 18 blog post. "Washington agriculture should not be undermined by ill-advised, unscientific declarations." Bumbaco said there is precedent for Ecology backing off the “emergency drought declaration” if there is no evidence to support the claim in the coming months. “On May 17, 2022, the Washington State Department of Ecology, with Governor Inslee’s approval, extended the drought declaration that was issued in 2021 for five watersheds in the northeastern portion of the state. The rest of Eastern Washington was included in a Drought Advisory that was issued to promote early awareness of the possible development of drought conditions. As a result of the cool and wet spring, both the Drought Advisory and Drought Emergency were lifted on July 19,” read part of a post emailed to TCS.

Arian Romanovsky, the former editor-in-chief of Tatler’s Russian edition who was convicted of extorting Rostec head Sergei Chemezov, has been released from prison.

Ocura started as a school initiative. Now, the students behind that effort want to make it a registered nonprofit.

The mosque and school received $892,798 in grants from a state security program that Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to cut by $36 million.

今年戛纳影节主竞赛单元，没有中国电影入围，但中国著名导演贾樟柯执导的短片《都灵之影》入围戛纳 “特别展映”单元，该片在周二晚间在电影宫的一个展厅进行了全球首映。

今年戛納影節主競賽單元，沒有中國電影入圍，但中國著名導演賈樟柯執導的短片《都靈之影》入圍戛納 “特別展映”單元，該片在周二晚間在電影宮的一個展廳進行了全球首映。

(The Center Square) - A record number of Americans are expected to travel on Memorial Day weekend in the Southwest and across the U.S., despite hikes in costs for gas and aircraft fuel. Faced with the nation's highest gas prices, drivers in the Southwest are likely to pay up at the pump this weekend as they join an estimated 45 million Americans in traveling for this year’s holiday. “AAA is projecting 45 million Americans will be taking a trip of 50 miles or more away from home from Thursday through Monday,” AAA Southern California spokesperson Doug Shupe told The Center Square. “The vast majority of them, 39.1 million, will take a road trip. By air, we're looking at 3.6 million Americans flying somewhere, and about 2.2 million will take another mode of transportation like a train, bus or even a cruise.” The high rate of travel comes despite gas prices that continue to creep ever closer to all-time record highs amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. The national average for a regular gallon of gas is up $1.35 from this time last year to $4.53 as the Southwest feels some of the country’s highest prices. California leads the nation at $6.15 with Nevada at $5.25, Arizona at $4.83 and Colorado’s $4.76, according to AAA. “I think [people] are still going to want to get out and take advantage of the three-day weekend and travel, even though it’s going to cost them more,” AAA Mountain West spokesperson Doug Johnson told The Center Square. “I think what they're going to say is, ‘OK, gas is costing us more, so maybe I won't be staying in as fancy of an hotel this time around, and maybe I won't be going out to that fancy dinner.’ Maybe they'll scale it back and go to a moderate dinner, stay in a cheaper motel or hotel.” In Colorado and the Western states, Auto Group spokesperson Skyler McKinley said he thought high prices at the tank could push some people to stay closer to home. “We’re blessed with a bounty of places within driving distance that are remarkable vacation destinations with the great outdoors,” McKinley told The Center Square. “So you actually might see a substitution effect for Westerners, who instead of opting to drive or fly across the country, will stick closer to home. But they’ll still get up and go out.” He also cited a survey from the summer of 2022, when gas prices were at their highest, that showed more than half of people would change their driving patterns when the gallon hit $4, and three-fourths said they would drive less at $5. “I anticipate that these everybody go-up, get-out American traditional holidays are still going to be strong,” McKinley speculated of the high fuel prices. “Where we might see travel adjusted is the rest of the summer.” Despite the rising fuel prices, AAA reported that domestic flights over Memorial Day weekend are 6% cheaper than last year. For the majority of travelers who will be driving over the weekend, the Southwest is home to some of the most popular markets for tourism. Las Vegas and Los Angeles are both within the five highest-demand markets for rental cars this weekend, according to Hertz. People getting between Southwestern destinations should prepare for some serious traffic. The route to the most popular driving destination from Los Angeles, Palm Springs, is expected to see an 88% longer drive time over the weekend, according to AAA. The AAA experts recommended drivers to make sure their cars are in top shape and to avoid speeding as a means to save on fuel prices this long weekend. “Last Memorial Day weekend from Thursday through Monday, AAA came to the roadside rescue of 350,000 stranded drivers just in that five-day period,” said Shupe. “The primary reasons why people call AAA for help are dead batteries, flat tires and people getting locked out of their vehicle. So we encourage you to make sure that vehicle's in good shape to prevent a roadside breakdown.”

Former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has made the cut for a formal interview to join the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Following two-hours behind closed doors Tuesday, the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission chose five candidates, including Shekarchi, to be considered for the vacancy created by the March 27 retirement of Associate Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg. […]

The Fort Worth nonprofit reopened in the historic 26,000-square-foot Kimbell building in the Near Southside.

La chaqueta bomber de lunares de Mango que está revolucionando el street style esta temporada.

El vestido bordado de Mango que parece sacado de una firma boho de lujo.

正在積極地為2027年法國總統大選做準備的法國前總理愛德華·菲利普成為一名預審法官調查的對象。原因是他涉嫌挪用公款、徇私舞弊、非法利益輸送以及索賄等，相關的事件涉及他擔任市長的法國港口城市勒阿弗爾。

正在积极地为2027年法国总统大选做准备的法国前总理爱德华·菲利普成为一名预审法官调查的对象。原因是他涉嫌挪用公款、徇私舞弊、非法利益输送以及索贿等，相关的事件涉及他担任市长的法国港口城市勒阿弗尔。

Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.This spring, state lawmakers considered cutting funding for homeschool enrichment students as a way to bring down costs in a growing, but mostly unregulated corner of Colorado’s publicly funded education system. But in the last days of the legislative session, they opted instead to rein in funding in a different way: by putting guardrails on the group fueling most of the growth. The move will save the state tens of millions of dollars by eliminating some homeschool enrichment programs authorized by the Monument-based group Education reEnvisioned Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or ERBOCES.The homeschool enrichment debate flared as lawmakers grappled with a $1.5 billion budget hole and revelations emerged that some homeschool enrichment programs authorized by ERBOCES fund activities such as sports camps, martial arts lessons, and even ski passes. While many school districts and charter schools also offer enrichment programs to homeschoolers, their offerings tend to be more similar to public school classes such as art, music, physical education, and sometimes academics. The state spends more than $100 million a year on part-time students, a group that consists mostly of homeschool enrichment participants. The rest are private school students who take classes at public schools that their schools aren’t able to offer.For now, the state will continue paying the current part-time per-pupil rate for homeschool enrichment programs — about $6,000 a year on average, typically for one day a week of classes. That rate is half the full-time rate for public K-12 students, who attend classes four or five days a week.Lawmakers may reconsider cutting that rate in future years.“I definitely think that that is still going to be an important conversation going forward,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat who is chair of the powerful Joint Budget Committee. She said with continued budget shortfalls expected in the next couple years, lawmakers will need to look everywhere for savings. Sirota said the Joint Budget Committee pivoted away from cutting the homeschool enrichment funding rate this year in part because the proposed change didn’t address the root problem: that one authorizer, ERBOCES, was responsible for the explosion of new programs. The co-op has more than 50 homeschool enrichment programs scattered across the state, most created in the last few years. All are operated by private contractors. Sirota said stopping the spread of homeschool enrichment programs that provide activities outside the bounds of what is normally considered public education was the first priority. Simply halving the homeschool enrichment rate would have hurt school district enrichment programs that are operating appropriately, “but wouldn’t have stopped the horseback riding lessons and ski pass programs,” she said. “Those probably would have proliferated even further.”The legislature curtailed the power of co-ops like ERBOCES to authorize schools and programs outside their member school districts through an amendment to the School Finance Act. ERBOCES has only two member districts: District 49 in El Paso County and the Elizabeth School District in Elbert County.The amendment would bar homeschool enrichment programs from providing activities not generally available to students attending public schools. It would also ban publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs from enrolling private school students. Some of the homeschool enrichment programs authorized by ERBOCES provide one day of free programming a week to students who attend private school the rest of the week.State estimates indicate the changes will save about $21 million next year and about $30 million the following year, though the amounts could vary based on several factors.Even with the changes to the School Finance Act, some existing homeschool enrichment programs authorized by ERBOCES will be allowed to continue operating even if they are outside its territory. They’ll have to meet certain conditions, including approval by the State Board of Education or the school district where the program is located. They won’t be allowed to enroll more students next year than they have this year. The new restrictions mean that some homeschool enrichment programs in the pipeline will not open. ERBOCES, which is overseen by a five-member board, was slated to launch at least two dozen enrichment programs next fall, according to board documents and meeting audio recordings. They included a forest school in Lakewood, an arts program in Pueblo, and classes on Japanese language and culture in the Denver area. Since they are new and outside ERBOCES’ two member districts, they wouldn’t be eligible for public funding next school year. ERBOCES officials have declined to provide Chalkbeat a list of the group’s current and planned homeschool enrichment programs. Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.