Education News: November 10, 2006

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending November 10, 2006.

Denver Public Schools grads’ future brighter
(Source: Rocky Mountain News, 11/10/06) The mayor of Denver has announced that 2007 graduates from three Denver high schools will have their college costs covered by a large, new scholarship program. A private $50 million donation enabled the program, which will work by paying the remaining unmet need after the students apply for federal and school-specific financial aid at any of the 33 participating colleges and universities in Colorado. Eligibility for the scholarship will expand to all Denver public schools for the class of 2008.

Manhattan: New cell phone rules for students released
(Source: The New York Times, 11/10/06) Regulations regarding medical exemptions from Manhattan’s controversial ban on cell phones in schools have been released. In order to receive a medical exemption, parents must present doctor-signed paperwork describing their child’s medical condition and the reasons why he or she needs a cell phone in school. Students who receive the exemption will nonetheless be required to give their cell phones to school officials at the beginning of the school day and pick them up at the end.

St. Paul schools will get more money
(Source: TwinCities.com, 11/8/06) On Election Day, St. Paul residents voted in favor of a referendum that will raise property taxes to provide an extra $13.5 million per year to schools. The vote is a continuation of school levies that voters approved in 2000 and 2002. Combined, St. Paul schools will receive $30 million per year in referendum funds.

School bus injuries send 17,000 kids to the ER each year
(Source: CNN.com, 11/6/06) New data show that 17,000 kids end up in the emergency room each year as a result of accidents involving school buses. Only 42% of these ER visits result from actual school bus crashes. Almost a quarter of the injuries occur when students are boarding or getting off the bus, and the rest result from slips, trips, falls, and rough-housing while the children are on the bus. On average, however, fewer than nine children are killed each year due to school bus accidents. The Academy of American Pediatrics has recommended that all new school buses should come equipped with lap-shoulder belts, though others worry about the feasibility of school districts footing the bills.

3 California schools to fingerprint students
(Source: The Boston Globe, 11/5/06) Students at three elementary schools in Santa Barbara will press their index fingers to a scanner as they go through the lunch line starting later this month. The scan will show the student’s name, the student’s ID number, the teacher’s name, and the amount owed since some students receive government-subsidized lunches. The system is intended to expedite lunch lines and reduce paperwork.

Schools toss aside texts for e-books
(Source: Dallas Morning News, 11/4/06) Gradually, schools and school districts in Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and other places are moving to replace hardback textbooks with electronic textbooks. One advantage is that electronic textbooks, unlike hardback ones, can be updated as needed. Also, students can carry a single laptop containing all their electronic textbooks to and from school rather than carrying multiple hardback texts. Electronic textbooks have not yet proved to be a money-saving measure, though they may in the future. One Texas school district reported that the textbooks cost the same regardless of format and that student laptops cost $895 each and need to be replaced about every four years.