Fast Report

• Florida's multimillion-dollar voucher programs are mismanaged, and the state education department provides little oversight, concludes reports released Oct. 21 by the state Senate.

According to one report, "It has been difficult to determine who at the department of education is actually running" the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship program.

Because the state had issued no rules on the program, taxpayer dollars were awarded to "unstable" private schools, including one run out of an abandoned house.

The state did not check enrollment figures for private schools participating in the McKay Scholarship program for disabled students, so schools continued to receive vouchers for students who dropped out or moved away. The state also did not check whether private schools complied with state health, safety, and antidiscrimination laws

Supreme Court will hear pledge case

• The U.S. Supreme Court announced October 14 that it will rule on whether public schools may include the Pledge of Allegiance in their daily routine.

The justices will review the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which last year found a California law requiring the pledge to be recited in class unconstitutional because the phrase "one Nation under God" violates the First Amendment clause on establishment of religion.

The case was filed by Michael Newdow, an atheist whose daughter attends public school in the Elk Grove Unified School District.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case early next year and issue a ruling by June.

Justice Antonin Scalia has recused himself from the decision because he had criticized the 9th circuit ruling in a speech at an event sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

The Supreme Court will not rule on whether the California law on the pledge is unconstitutional. It will limit its review to two questions: whether the school district policy on the pledge violates the Establishment Clause and whether Newdow, as a noncustodial parent, has standing to challenge the policy.

Financial relief sought for Western districts

• Members of Congress have expressed an interest in pursuing financial relief for school districts in Western states that are adversely affected by having large proportions of federally owned land in their jurisdictions.

NSBA's Delegate Assembly had passed a resolution in April on behalf of 3,000 school districts in 13 Western states calling for a General Accounting Office study of how state and local school district revenues are affected by federal ownership of Western land.

NSBA and the Western Senate Coalition co-sponsored a congressional briefing on the issue Oct. 8.

At the briefing, Rep. Stephen H. Urquhart of the Utah House of Representatives said the federal government owns approximately 51.9 percent of the land in Western states, compared to 4.1 percent in the rest of the country.

The federal government owns more than 62 percent of the land in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.

Because this land can't be taxed, Urquhart says, the financial loss to the Western states is estimated at more than $6.4 billion.

Meanwhile, he notes, per-pupil expenditures are declining and K-12 enrollment is rising in the West, making the need to secure adequate funding for schools all the greater.

AYP helps close achievement gap

• The adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirement in the No Child Left Behind Act is providing important information to help communities close the achievement gap, concludes a new report by the Education Trust.

"This year's first-ever application of the AYP formula is providing the foundation for school improvement efforts in all 50 states by uncovering large achievement gaps, identifying schools that have made significant progress, and recognizing schools with high percentages of low-income and minority children meeting state proficiency benchmarks," the report states.

"Our schools can no longer afford to consider schools successful unless they successfully teach all groups of students," says Ross Weiner, policy director of the Education Trust. "For too long, state accountability systems looked only at overall averages, and in so doing, allowed massive achievement gaps between groups to be ignored."

School siting affects environmental quality

• Where a new school is built and how it is designed can affect whether students will walk or bike to school or ride a bus, and those travel choices could affect traffic congestion, air pollution, and school transportation budgets, concludes a new study from the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to Travel and Environmental Implications of School Siting, students who live closer to school and who travel through pedestrian-friendly environments are more likely to walk or ride a bike to school.

The report also shows that centrally located schools that can be reached by walking or bicycling result in lower air emissions from vehicles.

The report (EPA 231-R-03-004) is available from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications, (513) 891-6561.