Latest Coverage

"Gov. Jerry Brown has been seeking implementation of a weighted student formula' that would give more school money to districts with high levels of poverty and other educational impediments and low levels of achievement. But the proposal has been a hard sell in the Legislature, because districts that would lose money under the redistribution plan are opposed."

"Take Stock in Children guarantees low-income and at-risk students a four-year college education at a Florida public school if they sign a contract promising to maintain good grades, stay drug- and crime-free and meet with a mentor on a regular basis. On Monday, community leaders involved with the program officially announced that they have formed their own nonprofit organization in the hopes that they can raise more money to sponsor more students."

"Several principals and other school administrators are urging the state to re-examine the way it scores schools on new report cards after pointing out shortcomings they believe unfairly hurt districts with high poverty or large numbers of minorities or disabled students."

"Enrollment at several of the larger area public school districts saw slight gains this year over last year, but they were accompanied by bigger gains in low-income students, according to Arkansas Department of Education and school district data."

"Deborah W. Reed, education specialist and homeless education liaison for the school system, said the number of children living in hotels grows steadily during each school year as family circumstances change and the county gathers information. Reed said she expects that by the end of the school year, the number will be close to the 2011-12 total of 173. The year before that, it was 182."

"Take Stock in Children began in Florida in 1995, and the program has been in Manatee County for almost that long. The program provides mentors to low-income and at-risk students, who sign contracts saying they will keep their grades up and stay drug-free to keep tuition scholarships. Many participants are the first in their families to attend college or high school."

"Area students who have a disability or come from low income households have a greater chance of not getting a diploma in four years. The state Department of Education breaks up on-time graduation numbers by subgroups including male, female, white, black, Asian, multi-racial, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, homeless and limited English speaking."

"The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is bringing interest and attention to West Dallas. Investors and developers have been buying land, betting on opportunity and beginning to change the look of an aging industrial area only minutes from downtown. For those who live there, the challenges continue - education, persistent poverty and limited opportunities. Many parents work low-wage jobs. As happens elsewhere, they often don't participate in their children's education. Of the students who graduate from the only high school in West Dallas, Pinkston, few are prepared for college."

"With a baby boomer turning 55 every eight seconds for the next 17 years, the senior housing market is already strong, with new projects opening throughout the Sacramento region. But low incomes, a devastating recession and high costs of care present challenges both for seniors and developers. Affordable and high-end projects alike face obstacles."

"An advisory committee, racing to meet a November deadline to recommend a new student-assignment system for Boston, is weighing whether to give low-income students a priority to attend better-performing schools in other neighborhoods, a potentially divisive move that could address inequities but also take away seats from more affluent applicants who live nearby."

"Gourmet soups were served to the public Thursday at the annual Celebrity Soup Kitchen as part of a fundraiser to help low-income older adults pay their utility bills."

"Poverty has a way of taking things away from you,' a superintendent from a desperately poor South Texas school district said Wednesday, during Day 3 of the state's school funding trial. Early testimony has highlighted challenges facing school districts trying to meet tougher academic standards with insufficient funding, they say."