A $2 million grant has been awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to improve commercial driver license testing in New Jersey.
The funds were allocated to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) to “launch a mobile CDL testing program, improve outreach to customers and stakeholders in the commercial driving industry, and upgrade existing CDL skills test sites,” as described in a NJMVC news release.
The program will involve two specialized teams that will travel to remote sites in New Jersey and offer CDL skills and knowledge tests. It will be a large-scale initiative that is being coordinated with over 550 statewide districts and driving schools to make CDL testing more accessible to applicants in more rural and underserved parts of the state.
The inspiration for this program came from the popularity of the NJMVC’s Mobile Unit program that followed a similar blueprint of bringing non-driver IDs, driver license renewals, REAL IDs, registration renewals, and other related services to state’s residents, to aid accessibility and convenience.
The NJMVC stated that funding will also be used to aid outreach with stakeholders in the heavy-duty vehicle industry and to promote CDL training in communities. Another target of improvement will be the testing process itself, which will be upgraded to “ensure a safe testing flow, increase testing capacity, and optimize courses for larger commercial vehicles” in accordance with FMCSA and American Association of Motor Vehicle Administration standards.
“By receiving $2 million through the CDLPI grant, drivers across our state will have better access to training materials and testing availabilities, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our workforce on the road,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “This investment reflects our commitment to building a stronger and safer driving community in New Jersey.”
The awarding of funds was recognized at a Delanco, New Jersey road test facility on Nov. 1 during a press conference featuring government and industry representatives.
NJMVC Acting Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-said at the conference that the program will assist with meeting industry demands as well as provide jobs for individuals in marginalized communities. Assemblywoman Andrea Katz addressed the school bus driver shortage in the state, saying that while it’s improving it’s vital to ensure there are enough people to transport students in rural areas that often require longer routes to and from school.
Dan Jauch, president of the New Jersey School Bus Contractor’s Association and vice president of operations at Krapf Bus, said the program will improve efficiency for contractors and that a bulk testing program “demonstrates a thoughtful response to the unique needs of the school bus contractors across out state.”
Vinn White, who had previously served as a senior advisor to Gov. Murphy on transportation and mobility policy and is now the Deputy Administrator of the FMCSA spoke on the benefits of the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) Grant program, from which the funds for the New Jersey mobile CDL testing program are a part of. Overall, he said grant funds help to support the industry, the national economy and encourage individuals to get their CDL license which can aid multiple fields experiencing shortages.
“We know that it can be difficult to access this testing in rural parts of New Jersey and that’s why bringing this to the community is so important,” said White. “FMCSA is proud to invest in Americans breaking down barriers who are working and trying to earn their CDL.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it tentatively selected 70 applicants to receive over $735 million from the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program for the purchase and implementation of zero-emission heavy duty vehicles, including electric school buses.
EPA stated on Dec. 11 that the applicants span 27 states, three Tribal Nations, and one U.S. territory.
The School Bus Sub Program portion of the grant includes $490 million to fund new zero-emission electric school buses and associated infrastructure and looks to deliver approximately 70 percent of total funding to school bus replacement projects. The funds being awarded will go toward the purchase of over 1,600 electric school buses.
EPA also said it will be working with the selected applicants to finalize award details and “currently anticipates finalizing awards in early calendar year 2025 once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.” Depending on the scale of each individual project, implementation will occur over the next two to three years.
Some of the grant fund allocation for zero-emission buses and infrastructure include an anticipated $35 million to Boston Public Schools to replace 125 diesel and propane school buses with electric school buses as well as purchase chargers for the buses. Multiple school districts in California are slated to receive funds. Over $20.3 million is destined for Los Angeles Unified School District to replace 50 fossil fuel-powered school buses and $15.1 million to Oakland Unified School District to replace 60 of its buses with electric school buses.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum recently reported that property tax bills mailed out to Wisconsin taxpayers this month will show the biggest tax increase from a previous year since 2009.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos wasted no time in assigning blame. On X, Vos wrote: “When you receive your property tax bill this month, please remember it was Governor Evers who used his line item veto to create a 400 year guaranteed property tax increase.”
It’s true that Evers’ headline-grabbing partial veto of the last state budget extended the two-year tax increase the Legislature approved for school districts. The Legislature allowed schools to raise another $325 per pupil per year from local taxpayers for each year of the 2023-25 budget. By deleting some digits, Evers stretched that out until the year 2425.
But Vos’ accusation is fundamentally misleading in a couple of ways. First, the Legislature approved the increase for the duration of the current budget cycle. The fact that Evers extended it for centuries into the future made a big splash, but it didn’t add a penny to anyone’s property taxes this year.
Second, and more important to understand, as we begin another budget cycle and another slugfest over spending on schools, is that the Legislature’s stinginess when it comes to the state’s share of school funding is a major driver of property tax increases.
As the Wisconsin Policy Forum points out in its report, one key reason for the recent spike in property taxes is the historic number of school district referenda passed by local communities. Local property taxpayers voted to raise their own taxes. And why is that? Because the Legislature refused to give school districts enough money in the state budget to cover their costs.
But, you might object, Vos and other Republicans made a big point of touting their last budget’s “historic” $1.2 billion increase in funding for schools. Unfortunately, that claim is as misleading as Vos’ effort to blame Evers for your property tax bill.
To understand why school districts are begging local taxpayers for money at the same time Republicans claim they gave schools a “historic increase,” take a look at how little of that $1.2 billion in “education spending” actually went to schools.
For each budget cycle, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau produces a detailed summary of budget items by category. In the “Public Instruction” category, the Fiscal Bureau reports that “total school aid” in the 2023-25 budget came to $625 million.
Where did the rest go? To find out, you have to look down the list of Fiscal Bureau categories to “shared revenue and tax relief.” There, under the heading “school levy tax credit” you will find the missing $590 million in so-called school funding, in the form of a rebate to property taxpayers. Schools never get to touch that money. It is an oddity of Wisconsin law that the school levy tax credit is labeled as school funding.
The school levy tax credit puts school districts in an awkward position every year. At the end of October, every district sets its levy. People believe, based on that number, that they know what their tax bill will be. But later, on Nov. 20, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue tells each municipality the amount of the school levy tax credit that will be applied to local property tax bills and the number is readjusted. The state calls this tax credit money for schools, but it’s actually just a straight-up discount for property tax payers.
Now, had the Legislature actually put $590 million into school funding, schools would have been in a much better financial position, and we probably would not have seen a record-breaking number of districts asking property taxpayers to hike their own taxes to keep their local schools afloat.
The backdrop to all this was a huge, historic cut to school funding in Wisconsin back in 2012, followed by a decade and a half in which schools never recovered. Wisconsin has not given schools enough funding to keep pace with inflation for the last 15 years, state schools superintendent Jill Underly pointed out when she released her $4 billion 2025-27 budget proposal.
Vos dismissed Underly’s budget proposal as completely unrealistic. But in truth, it would pretty much restore Wisconsin schools to the level of funding they enjoyed right before the brutal cuts of former Gov. Scott Walker’s administration.
One of Underly’s top budget priorities is asking the state to meet its neglected commitment to cover 90% of special education costs, instead of the current 32%, which forces schools to raid general funds and cut programs to cover this unavoidable, federally mandated expense.
Another sensible idea, endorsed by the Legislature’s bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding in 2017, is to end the deceptive practice of putting money into the school levy tax credit and pretending that it funds schools.
Instead of playing a shell game with school funding and pointing fingers as local taxpayers continue to shoulder more and more of the cost, Wisconsin should use a portion of the state’s massive budget surplus to adequately fund schools.
The Assembly Democratic Caucus will enter the next year with 45 members — ten more than last session. Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) speaking at a press conference before an April 25, 2023 floor session. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)
Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a year-end interview that the new makeup of the state Legislature is going to have a real impact next legislative session.
The Assembly Democratic Caucus will enter the next year with 45 members — ten more than last session — after the recent elections under new legislative maps, and the work to prepare for next session has started.
“The fair maps already started to change the culture of the state Legislature. We saw more bipartisan work last session. I expect that that will only increase as we go forward,” Neubauer told the Wisconsin Examiner. “We’ve got legislators who are going to be looking over their left and their right shoulder — a lot of people in competitive districts who are going to need to listen to their constituents and get things done.”
Assembly Democrats are looking to get things done, Neubauer said. To prepare, leaders are having one-on-one conversations with members. New lawmakers are participating in a freshman orientation this week and a caucus retreat is scheduled for later this week.
“We are working as a group to identify our top priorities — what it would take for us to vote for the budget, for example — and working to collectively leverage our power.” Neubauer said. She said many of the caucus’ new members have a local government background or have worked in advocacy roles or as a union leader, which is helpful.
Neubauer said she thinks the majority party will need some Democratic support to pass important bills, which could give Assembly Democrats the chance to shape forthcoming legislation.
“We want to make sure that we are taking advantage of those opportunities to get real wins for our constituents and pass important policy,” Neubauer said.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said during a press conference last month that he would still be seeking “consensus” among Republicans before moving forward on issues, even with the new slimmer margins. However, Neubauer said she thinks there will be more opportunities to work together on certain issues as there may be more members of the Republican caucus pushing their leadership to take up certain issues including investment in education, lowering costs, expanding access to health care including by extending postpartum Medicaid coverage, protecting the environment and providing clean drinking water.
“The reality is that he now has a lot of members who are in very close seats, who are going to need to go home and answer for their votes,” Neubauer said. “There’s a lot of really popular issues that Republicans have refused to take significant action on that I anticipate will be getting more air time in the coming session.”
Neubauer said she hasn’t spoken with Vos about the upcoming session, but hopes to soon.
Budget writing and other legislative priorities
When the Legislature returns to session next year, Gov. Tony Evers and the Legislature will work on writing the next two-year budget. State agencies have delivered their requests to Evers, who will write his own budget proposals. The Legislature will then write and vote on its own version before sending it to Evers, who will have the opportunity to sign or veto the budget.
“I am hopeful that in this budget, we will be able to lower costs for families in Wisconsin in housing and child care and prescription drugs. I hope that we’re able to make real investments in education and giving every kid the opportunity to succeed in our state,” Neubauer said.
School funding a top priority
Neubauer said education funding will likely be a top priority for the caucus, and that the proposals from the UW System and the Department of Public Instruction are strong. The UW System is requesting an additional $855 million from the state for many priorities, including wage increases, general operations costs, mental health services and extending the Wisconsin Tuition Promise. The Department of Public Instruction has requested an additional $4.3 billion to support schools struggling to meet costs; the request follows a record year for school referendum requests.
“I really appreciate the ambition and the effort to make the necessary investments to give every student in Wisconsin the ability to succeed,” Neubauer said. “We know that the state Legislature has not been keeping up its end of the bargain in terms of funding for our public schools and the Assembly Republicans have seemingly decided that their role is to attack and undermine the UW system rather than support and uplift it.”
Neubauer said she hopes they’re able to get a significant increase for education spending given the state’s significant $4 billion surplus, but noted that those priorities need to be balanced with other important priorities. When it comes to specific policies for investment for K-12 education, Neubauer said Democrats will be focused on increasing the reimbursement rate for special education, securing a “significant” increase to per pupil aid and mental health resources.
“It should not be falling to local communities to raise their property taxes in order to fund their schools, and I think for many of us, you know, we walk into our local schools and we see what’s been cut, and we see where additional resources could really make a difference for kids, and we think this is just wrong.” Neubauer said. She noted that Racine County, where she is from, is one community dealing with financial difficulties, including deficits and budget cuts. “We’re not doing right by them, and so I do think that’ll be a big focus for us in this budget, and then we will see where else we can support families to make ends meet and to have great opportunities in Wisconsin in the years ahead.”
Republican lawmakers, including leaders and those on the budget committee, have said that “returning the surplus back to taxpayers” will be one of their top priorities. Neubauer said that Democrats would be open to talking about targeted tax cuts that benefit middle class families.
“What we’ve seen from Republicans in the last several years is proposals that primarily benefit the richest Wisconsinites and corporations, and we’re not interested in that,” Neubauer said. “We know that many people are struggling to make ends meet in Wisconsin, but it can’t break the bank, and it needs to be targeted.”
Funding local government
Neubauer said local government funding will likely be another key priority for Democrats this coming session. Even with the shared revenue overhaul last session, she said many Wisconsin communities are still struggling to fund essential services.
“We did make progress, but we had fallen so far behind,” Neubauer said. “We’ve got red and blue communities that are coming to us and saying with the federal dollars going away here at the end of the year, they’re going to have a very difficult time funding their public health departments, their parks and community centers, their public safety and those are all essential to our community’s well being.”
Prying loose JFC’s grip on the public purse
Neubauer said she hopes with the maps that there will be more accountability for lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee if they decide to withhold funds next session. Lawmakers dedicated money to several issues last session — including $125 million to combat PFAS, $50 million to support new literacy initiatives and $15 million for hospitals in the Chippewa Valley — however, the funds have been withheld by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee due to policy differences after the funds were allocated.
Neubauer said she hopes this will happen less in the coming session. She pointed out that Sen. Duey Stroebel, a prominent Republican member of the committee, was ousted from his seat this election cycle by Democrat Sen.-elect. Jodi Habush Sinykin. Sen. Joan Ballweg, another member of the committee, also lost her reelection bid.
“People of Wisconsin don’t really like that. Those are important priorities to people across the state,” Neubauer said. “I think that having more legislators and competitive seats will mean that the people, I hope, on the Joint Finance Committee are hesitant to do that.”
Neubauer said that the multiple court cases challenging JFC’s enhanced authority could also help with the issue.
“We’ve already seen one decision from the Supreme Court that said that they had overstepped, and there are other cases moving through,” Neubauer said. “I think that’s a good thing, and it makes me hopeful that Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee will no longer be able to act as sort of another Legislature in preventing the implementation of these programs that have already been passed and already been signed.”
Beyond budget priorities, Neubauer said that the caucus is continuing to think about other longer term issues — including legalizing marijuana, addressing gun safety, protecting abortion rights, addressing climate change, ensuring everyone has access to clean drinking water and public safety reforms — but she expects some of those will require a Democratic majority.
Neubauer said that Democrats are always working towards the majority in the Assembly, and she thinks the last election laid the groundwork for a Democratic takeover in two years. She noted there could be the opportunity for a Democratic trifecta in that election cycle.
“We’ve got strong candidates that ran this cycle, many of whom want to run again. We really built our grassroots infrastructure in communities where we haven’t had competitive districts for quite some time, and I think we learned some things about how to run such a big program with so many candidates under these fair maps,” Neubauer said.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is offering to fund local education agencies (LEAs) in the state to purchase propane-powered school buses.
The Missouri Propane Education and Research Council said in a press release that DESE is providing $970,000 million in funding to school districts for the purchase of the propane school buses. School districts can apply for up to four propane buses at $24,250 each.
Application consideration will be based on data received. At the time of the release last month, the DESE said it had received over two dozen applications and about dozen more spots were available.
Guidance from DESE stated that school buses must meet certain eligibility requirements, including being a 2024 model or newer equipped with an EPA certified engine, and purchased rather than leased. LEAs will need to provide a title, certificate of origin, or a purchase order to the department, showing the purchase of the buses with grant funds, by June 15.
The applications are due Dec. 15. DESE stated that “after the initial application period, should funds remain available, a second round of funding will be offered using the same criteria that will be applied to the first round.”
Ohio’s school districts are facing an uphill battle to meet state student transportation requirements amid a persistent school bus driver shortage, resulting in financial penalties and a high-profile lawsuit filed by the state attorney general.
The lawsuit and related fines levied against school districts for noncompliance with state regulations detail how the struggles in providing timely and reliable bus services for both public and non-public school students.
The compliance issues are in the spotlight after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit against Columbus City Schools in September, accusing the district of failing to fulfill its statutory transportation obligations. This lawsuit has added to the urgency for Ohio’s school districts, which are already contending with a shortage of qualified school bus drivers, to find solutions that will ensure the safety and punctuality of school transportation across the state.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
Attorney General Yost’s lawsuit claims that Columbus City Schools failed to provide transportation for students attending charter and private schools, a legal requirement under Ohio law. According to the lawsuit, Columbus City Schools labeled the transportation of these students as “impractical” and did not notify parents until days before the school year began, which left families scrambling to find alternate transportation.
“As a parent and grandparent, I understand the importance of making sure every child has a safe way to get to and from school,” Yost said at the time. “These families have a right to choose what school is best for their child, and the law is clear that transportation is to be provided.”
The lawsuit seeks a writ of mandamus compelling Columbus City Schools to resume transportation services for affected students immediately and to properly notify parents of their rights. The Attorney General’s office also issued a cease-and-desist letter to the district on Sept. 3, suggesting that the district’s failure to comply is suspected of being a deliberate attempt to circumvent legal obligations.
Last month, Columbus City Schools extended transportation service to about 100 students who were previously denied service and filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Yost in a statement said he is not convinced and remains undeterred.
“It remains to be seen whether the district will live up to its press release and really transport these children,” he said. “The state already has received some information suggesting that it is not. … Simply put, this case is far from over.”
Fines and Compliance Challenges Across Ohio
According to data from the Ohio Department of Education, Columbus City Schools is not the only district facing compliance challenges. The department has collected substantial fines from several districts over the past couple of years due to delays in meeting transportation standards, which the school districts claimed were the result of school bus driver shortages.
In fiscal year 2024 alone, over $7.3 million in penalties were imposed on Columbus City Schools for failing to meet timing and operational requirements under Ohio Revised Code 3327.021. Youngstown School District was fined $1.91 million, while the state will collect nearly $250,000 from Middleton City Schools. The total of $9.5 million was 472 percent more than the state collected for fiscal year 2023 ($1.66 million) and 70 percent more than for fiscal year 2022 ($5.6 million).
An Ohio Department of Education spokesperson confirmed that refunds received by Columbus City Schools, Dayton City Schools and Toledo Public Schools were were the result of litigation settlement agreements.
So far for fiscal year 2025, the data indicates a $2.2 million fine to Columbus City Schools.
Under Ohio law, school districts are considered “out of compliance” if students arrive at school more than 30 minutes late or are picked up more than 30 minutes after dismissal for five consecutive days or 10 total days within a school year. Additionally, if a school bus fails to arrive at all, the district may also face penalties. These regulations are intended to ensure the reliability of transportation for all students, including those attending charter and private schools.
An accounting of fines levied against Ohio school districts over the past three fiscal years for noncompliance with school bus timing regulations. Source: Ohio Department of Education
Todd Silverthorn, the second vice president of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation and director of transportation for Kettering Local City Schools, provided additional context on the challenges facing Ohio school districts. He explained that the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is conducting a timing study to assess district compliance with Ohio Administrative Code 3301-83-05. This study evaluates whether routes are practical and efficient based on the most direct path between public and non-public schools.
Silverthorn emphasized the complexities of the timing study, as fluctuating student enrollment and significant bus driver shortages complicate compliance efforts. He noted that while state regulations are meant to uphold standards, the severe staffing shortfall has left school districts like Columbus City scrambling to cover essential routes, often falling short of the required timing standards.
“While state lawmakers may argue that there is adequate funding for transportation, the core issue is not funding but staffing,” Silverthorn said. “Districts are facing increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified bus drivers. This isn’t about budget limitations but about the challenges inherent in the role [of driving] itself.”
The Impact of Ohio’s Decreased School Bus Driver Staffing Level
The statewide bus driver shortage has intensified the transportation crisis. Before the pandemic, Ohio employed 25,706 active bus drivers. By August, that number had dropped to 18,817. This shortfall is affecting the 612 public school districts and over 1,000 chartered non-public schools statewide, many of which depend on reliable transportation services.
The role of an Ohio school bus driver requires a Class B commercial driver’s license, criminal background checks, drug and alcohol screenings, and the responsibility of managing student safety and behavior. The part-time hours and split shifts many school bus drivers receive combined with a high level of responsibility have deterred many potential applicants, creating a pipeline problem that exacerbates the staffing crisis.
As a result, school districts face challenges in meeting the compliance standards set forth by Ohio law, especially when drivers resign or retire. Schools have reported delays, cancellations and logistical obstacles that disrupt the school day and create stress for families.
In response to these challenges, school districts have implemented various strategies to optimize transportation resources. Some districts have consolidated school bus routes, modified school start times, and offered incentives such as signing bonuses and wage increases to attract and retain bus drivers. However, these adjustments are only temporary solutions to a deep-rooted problem.
“The reality is that we need a multi-faceted approach. This means not only increasing recruitment efforts but also rethinking the job to make it more appealing,” Silverthorn said.
If or until that happens, school districts like Columbus City Schools will continue to face pressure from state to provide transportation services on time and consistently.
“It shouldn’t take a lawsuit and an emergency motion to decide to follow the law. Columbus City Schools admitted the law was to transport the children. Glad these kids are finally getting the transportation they were entitled to,” Yost added last month. “But this is not the end. There are more kids who still are not receiving transportation despite the district’s clear obligation to provide it.”
With voters raising taxes on themselves to help fund schools, public school advocates are calling for better investment from the state of Wisconsin for public schools. Students, parents, teachers and advocates joined a rally to increase funding for schools in the Wisconsin state budget at the Capitol on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)
Wisconsin voters approved 78% of school referendum funding requests across the state this week, raising taxes on themselves to grant schools over $3.4 billion for infrastructure and operations, including staff pay increases, program offerings and maintenance costs.
A total of 121 school districts put funding referendum questions on the ballot that combined sought more than $4.2 billion. According to the Department of Public Instruction, of the 138 referendum questions, voters approved 108.
Wisconsin Public Education Network leader Heather DuBois Bourenane said the organization was “thrilled” with the approvals. She said there were worries ahead of Election Day that voters were feeling “referendum fatigue” after about 60% of school funding requests passed in April.
“Voters spoke loudly and clearly, and they said, ‘we’re here to support our kids in their public schools, and yes, yes, we will pay that bill’,” DuBois Bourenane said.
DuBois Bourenane said the passage rate reflects that schools made responsible requests of voters and that school administrators and local teams formed to campaign for the referendum questions made sure voters knew what was at stake and the reasons for the requests.
The results reaffirm the widespread support for public schools across the state, she said, including from people across the political spectrum.
The results also come as Donald Trump, who has supported universal school choice, was elected to a second term as president and carried Wisconsin. Voters also reelected Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, an outspoken supporter of public schools, and returned a smaller Republican majority to the Legislature, where GOP lawmakers have worked to expand school choice.
“Wisconsin might have gone red in this election — that does not indicate a desire for more privatization or desire to abandon or destroy our public schools,” DuBois Bourenane said.
DuBois Bourenane and other school leaders said schools and their supporters are still working to advocate for better investment from the state of Wisconsin.
The largest referendum request in the state came from Madison Metropolitan School District, which asked voters for $507 million to fund renovations for two schools and to build eight new buildings. The building request won the support of 72% of school district voters. A second request, for $100 million in operational costs, including increases for staff salary and benefits, passed with 69% in favor.
“As excited as we are, we know that we still have much work ahead,” said MMSD Board President Nichelle Nichols and Superintendent Joe Gothard in a joint statement thanking voters. They added that it would probably not be the end of the district’s funding problems.
“Although the referenda have passed, it’s important for the community to know that we are still operating with a structural deficit. Our revenues are not keeping up with our costs,” they said. “We, along with other public school districts throughout the state, continue to be grossly underfunded by the state. Our team will come together and engage with the community to determine how to move forward and plan for the future.”
DuBois Bourenane said that where referendum questions failed to pass, some schools will struggle to meet costs.
“It’s awesome that 78% of our referendums passed, but for the 22% that didn’t — some of these districts are going to face a really, really tough year,” DuBois Bourenane said. “We need to not forget that when we’re forced to go to the ballot box to raise taxes on ourselves to fund our schools, some communities do and some communities don’t.”
When questions are rejected, “We’ve just widened another gap, and what we should be doing is demanding the state close those gaps, or level the playing field for every kid, instead of forcing us to compete against each other for scarce resources,” she added.
Reedsburg School District in Sauk County had split results on Tuesday. Voters approved a $14 million facilities referendum for improvements at its high school, but rejected the district’s $16 million nonrecurring operational referendum request.
In a Facebook post, Superintendent Roger Rindo thanked the community for approving the facilities referendum and promised regular updates on the progress of projects and a community open house to view renovations as projects are completed.
Rindo said he also respected the community’s rejection of the operational referendum, but added that there would be “difficult conversations around budget reductions and continuing to find ways to maximize operational efficiencies and ensuring that we maximize the dollars we have available to support our strategic directions.”
Rindo also said he would continue to press state lawmakers “for sufficient financial support from the state, including continued and consistent increases to the revenue limit, increases in flexible state aid, adequate support for Special Education, and an increase to the low-revenue ceiling” — the minimum limit on a school district’s per-pupil revenue.
“It is long past time that the state supported public education at a level that doesn’t put school districts in the position of continuing to ask their communities for additional funding,” Rindo said. “I hope you will join me in advocating with our elected officials.”
Wisconsin school districts have been increasingly relying on money approvedvia referendum to support local education. The state’s school revenue caps, which were first implemented in 1993, have not kept pace with inflation since 2009, leading schools across the state to regularly turn to voters to ask for additional funding.
State leaders also reacted to the results this week. Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly called for investments in schools, while a Republican lawmaker pushed back on that.
Underly said in a statement that the state Legislature has underfunded schools for over a decade, leading “a record number of districts going to referendum to try and fix severe financial constraints on their own.”
“Too many communities were forced to vote Tuesday on increasing property taxes just so their local schools can pay staff, heat and cool their buildings, and provide a quality education,” Underly said. “The upcoming biennial budget provides yet another opportunity for the legislature to uphold its responsibility to appropriately fund public schools, and to stop forcing Wisconsin communities to make impossible choices.”
Republican state Rep. Scott Allen of Waukesha, who won reelection on Tuesday, said in a statement that school referendums are “working.”
“These referendums keep the power and choice for how to spend tax dollars with people in local communities,” Allen said. “Instead of a one size fits all approach to the 421 school districts in our state, school referendums allow for local communities to weigh in on decisions that most affect them.” He said the results “proved that the will of the people does not always agree or align with the school administrators who want more taxpayer money.”
With Democrats gaining seats in both houses of the state Legislature Tuesday, narrowing the Republican majorities, public school officials and advocates will likely focus on asking for lawmakers to put more state money in public schools.
DuBois Bourenane said there is “an opportunity here to build some bridges, improve our relationships… and find some ways to come together for public funding in the next budget.”
“We’ve had 16 years in a row of budgets that didn’t even keep pace with inflation, and we have got to make a major dent in that trend this year …” DuBois Bourenane said. “From what I heard from candidates and both sides of the fence in this election cycle, there’s a pretty keen awareness of what that means, and it means doing something about the revenue limits that have been crippling our public schools for decades, and giving schools real, significant, spendable aid that’s adequate to meet their needs, and closing our special education gap.”
DuBois Bourenane said that increasing the special education reimbursement for schools to 90% — to match the reimbursement already provided to private voucher schools — from the current reimbursement rate of about 33% would be the “single most transformational thing” that could be done to help schools.
“It would free up districts to be able to use their actual state aid for the things that kids really need,” DuBois Bourenane said. School districts “wouldn’t have to tax so much at the local level if they could use their state aid for the things that they’re supposed to.”
DuBois Bourenane said she hopes newly elected lawmakers with backgrounds in public education, including Joe Sheehan, a former superintendent, Angelina Cruz, a teacher and president of Racine Educators United teachers union, and Christian Phelps, who has worked for WPEN, will be able to build relationships with legislators of both parties and be able to provide “critical context” for how education bills and budgets could affect students.
School bus electrification in the US has come a long way in the past decade, with especially robust growth in the past two years. School districts across the nation have committed to purchasing more than 12,000 electric buses, and there are over 3,500 already on the road.
Though broadly positive, these results don’t tell the whole story. In fact, districts vary widely in their progress on the fleet electrification journey. Those in the earliest stages are working on obtaining buy-in and making sense of constantly evolving funding incentive programs. Those that have ordered vehicles must carefully time and plan the deployment of supportive infrastructure. And those that already have vehicles in operation are navigating energy cost management and resiliency challenges.
This new webinar sponsored by ENGIE North America will update K-12 fleet professionals on the current state of bus fleet electrification, explore technical requirements, and help prepare business cases for each stage of the journey.
Drawing on a long history of providing eMobility and other sustainable energy solutions to K-12 districts, ENGIE experts will share:
A breakdown of adoption rates and trends: national, regional, and equity-focused
A review of recent and upcoming incentive programs, with application windows
Challenges and best practices for each fleet electrification stage
Case studies on deployments of eMobility infrastructure, including the latest trend in K-12: sustainable microgrids
Brought to you by ENGIE North America
REGISTER BELOW:
Presenters:
Marcus Gilmore
Senior Advisor, Clean Mobility Strategy
ENGIE North America
Gilmore has over a decade of experience in the clean energy sector, leading impactful sustainability initiatives for corporations, cities, and governments. At ENGIE, he works with organizations to develop and implement strategies for transitioning to zero-emission vehicle fleets and other clean energy solutions. Previously, Gilmore led multiple state and utility market transformation programs accelerating electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure deployment, and medium/heavy-duty vehicle fleet electrification. He holds a MS in PR and Corporate Communications from NYU and an MSc in Major Program Management from the University of Oxford.
Neal Bartek
Project Director, Microgrids
ENGIE North America
Bartek has more than 20 years’ experience leading diverse, cross-functional teams to success in projects across varied domains such as distributed energy resources (DER), IT, and traditional utility infrastructure including pioneering microgrid and advanced energy storage projects. Prior to ENGIE, he held multiple roles at San Diego Gas & Electric. He holds a BS in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.
School districts will once again have funding opportunities to replace diesel school buses with zero- or low-emission vehicles through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program.
The Clean School Bus Program is a five-year, $5 billion program that was signed into law through the 2001 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by President Joe Biden. It provides $5 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to fund the replacement of zero- and low-emission school buses. Under the CSBP grant and rebates, the EPA stated almost $3 billion was awarded to fund approximately 8,700 school buses, approximately 95 percent of which are zero-emission.
The EPA announced on Thursday the opening of the 2024 CSBP rebate application period, which the agency anticipates awarding up to $965 million, with the potential to modify the number based on the application pool and “other factors,” EPA stated.
The application will remain open until Jan. 9, 2025, at 4 p.m. EST.
Additionally, EPA now doubles the maximum allowed number of school buses funded per application from 25 to 50. Eligible applicants can apply to receive funds for electric, propane and/or compressed natural gas buses. Plus, the funds can go toward the purchase and installation of charging infrastructure, workforce training, consulting costs for bus deployments and bus warranty costs.
The EPA added that it will also provide additional funding per bus for ADA-compliant buses and for applicants not located in one of the lower 48 contiguous states to cover shipping.
Available Funding Per School Bus:
Electric School Buses
Priority:
Up to $325K + charging for Type D
$245K + charging for Type A & Type C
Non-priority:
$170K + charging for Type D
$115K + charging for Type A & Type C
Propane
Priority:
Up to $35K for Type D
Up to $30K for Type A & Type C
Non-priority:
Up to $25K for Type D
Up to $20K for Type A & C
CNG
Priority:
Up to $45K for Type D
Up to $30K for Type A & Type C
Non-priority:
Up to $30K for Type D
Up to $20K for Type A &C
Applicants will also be required to submit one or more of the following supplemental forms: school district approval certification (for third-party applicants such as eligible contractors and nonprofit school transportation associations), school board awareness certification, and/or utility partner template (for those applying for EV buses).
All forms must be signed by an authorized representative prior to submitting the application, the EPA stated.
Are you thinking of implementing Wi-Fi on your school buses for student homework use? Even considering its crucial impact, E-Rate can be a major headache for school districts. Join Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions and Kajeet to explore how your location affects your approach to connectivity and infrastructure planning.
Learn:
What are the benefits of E-Rate
What to consider when planning a new implementation in rural or urban districts
How to effectively navigate the NEW E-Rate application process
What strategies are needed to make informed decisions and optimize your connectivity resources
Brought to you by Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions
Register Below:
Session Speakers:
Ben Moebes
Director of Public Sector Sales
Ericsson Enterprise Wireless
Ben Moebes currently leads a sales team that brings 5G connectivity to the Public Sector at Ericsson. He is an award-winning leader with a track record of successes in leading the continued growth of IT sales organizations such as Versa, Aerohive and Ruckus Networks. His background includes breaking new ground in global markets resulting in record breaking revenue metrics and highly profitable new partnerships with major organizations.
Jim Kerr
Principal E-rate Consultant
KB & Associates
Jim Kerr’s technology and marketing experience spans more than 40 years. His skills and capabilities include project management in the area of voice/data communications systems design, selection, and implementation integration, as well as facilities and wiring design, systems integration, and financial analysis. He has placed particular emphasis over the last 25 years on the FCC’s E-rate program and the K-12 education vertical. Since 2009 Kerr has been the Principal Consultant/Owner of KB & Assoc. KB & Assoc. provides E-Rate marketing and consulting services as well as access to its E-Rate SaaS ErateProfitWorks, to Service Providers and Manufacturers. His clients were awarded over $300,000,000 in E-Rate applications in 2023.
Gene Ballard
Director of Strategy
Kajeet
In his role, Ballard is responsible for developing and executing Kajeet’s market-based strategies working in conjunction with Kajeet’s sales, technical, finance and leadership teams. Ballard has over 30 years of experience in Technology Leadership and Strategy, including the last 7+ years with Kajeet, at which time he was instrumental in building Kajeet’s SmartBus Solution as well as other key initiatives including Kajeet’s current E-Rate efforts.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks about access to in vitro fertilization on the steps of the Capitol building on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, along with other Senate Democrats holding photos of families who benefited from IVF. At right, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., holds a photo of Duckworth’s family that includes Duckworth’s children, born with the help of IVF. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).
WASHINGTON — The closely divided U.S. Senate gridlocked Tuesday over the best way to provide nationwide protections for in vitro fertilization, despite lawmakers from both political parties maintaining they want to do so.
Republicans voted against advancing a Democratic bill that could have prevented states from enacting “harmful or unwarranted limitations” on the procedure and bolstered access for military members and veterans. Two Republicans voted with Democrats — Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.
Wisconsin’s Republican Sen. Ron Johnson voted against the measure and Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin voted for it.
That came just a short time after Senate Democrats — who narrowly control the chamber — in a procedural move blocked a GOP bill from Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Katie Britt of Alabama that would have barred Medicaid funding from going to any state that bans IVF.
The 51-44 vote that prevented Democrats’ legislation from moving toward a final vote followed numerous floor speeches and press conferences, including by the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, that sought to elevate the issue ahead of the November elections. The measure needed 60 votes to advance.
“This is a chance for my colleagues across the aisle to put their votes where their mouths have been,” said Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the bill’s sponsor and a mom of two children born as a result of IVF. “They say they support IVF. Here you go — vote on this.”
Duckworth said the legislation would provide critical IVF services to U.S. military members and veterans, many of whom experience infertility or experience difficulty having children due to their service.
“It allows our military men and women, prior to a deployment into a combat zone, to preserve and freeze their genetic material; so that should they come home with injuries that result in them becoming infertile, they will have already preserved their genetic material so that they can, themselves, start those beautiful families they wanted,” Duckworth said.
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris released a written statement following the vote rebuking GOP senators for blocking the bill.
“Every woman in every state must have reproductive freedom,” Harris wrote. “Yet, Republicans in Congress have once again made clear that they will not protect access to the fertility treatments many couples need to fulfill their dream of having a child.”
Republicans blocked Democrats’ bill earlier this year. But Senate leadership scheduled another vote after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reignited the issue in August when he said his administration would mandate health insurance companies pay for IVF — a significant break with how the GOP has approached the issue.
“We are going to be, under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment,” Trump said during an interview with NBC News. “We’re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.”
Alabama ruling
Democrats began speaking at length about preserving access to IVF earlier this year after the Alabama state Supreme Court issued an opinion in February that frozen embryos constitute children under state law.
That ruling forced all the state’s IVF clinics to halt their work until the state legislature passed a bill providing criminal and civil protections for those clinics.
Democrats have since argued that legislating the belief life begins at conception, which is championed by most conservative Republicans, is at odds with access to IVF, which typically freezes more embryos than would be implanted.
Those frozen embryos can be preserved or discarded, depending on the patient’s wishes, the clinic’s policies and state law. Some conservatives believe that discarding shouldn’t be legal or are opposed to the process altogether.
The Southern Baptist Convention, for example, voted earlier this year to oppose IVF, writing in a resolution that couples should consider adoption and that the process “engages in dehumanizing methods for determining suitability for life.”
“We grieve alongside couples who have been diagnosed with infertility or are currently struggling to conceive, affirm their godly desire for children, and encourage them to consider the ethical implications of assisted reproductive technologies as they look to God for hope, grace, and wisdom amid suffering,” it stated.
Senate Democrats’ press for IVF protections has gone hand-in-hand with their efforts to bolster other reproductive rights, like access to birth control and abortion.
The issues could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the presidential election this November as well which political party controls the House and Senate.
Before the Senate held a vote on Democrats’ bill, Cruz asked for quick approval of an IVF bill he and Britt introduced earlier this year.
Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray blocked his unanimous consent request.
During debate on that bill, Britt questioned why Democrats haven’t scheduled a recorded vote on her legislation, saying it could get the 60 votes needed to advance toward final passage.
“Today, we have an opportunity to act quickly and overwhelmingly to protect continued nationwide IVF access for loving American families,” Britt said. “Our bill is the only bill that protects IVF access while safeguarding religious liberty.”
The Britt-Cruz legislation has three co-sponsors, including Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker.
Murray said the Britt-Cruz bill didn’t address what would happen in states that legislate fetal personhood, which she called “the biggest threat to IVF.”
“It is silent on whether states can demand that an embryo be treated the same as a living, breathing person,” Murray said. “Or whether parents should be allowed to have clinics dispose of unused embryos, something that is a common, necessary part of the IVF process.”
Cruz tried to pass his legislation through the unanimous consent process, which allows any one senator to ask for approval. Any one senator can then block that request from moving forward — as Murray did. There is no recorded vote as part of the UC process.
Democrats’ 64-page bill would have provided legal protections for anyone seeking fertility treatment, including IVF, and for the health care professionals providing that type of care.
It would have barred state and federal governments from “enacting harmful or unwarranted limitations or requirements” on IVF access.
The legislation would have bolstered fertility treatment coverage for members of the military and veterans, as well as their spouses, partners, or gestational surrogates.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine supports Democrats’ legislation. Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer Sean Tipton wrote in a statement released this week that Democrats’ IVF bill would “protect the rights of Americans to seek the medical services they may need to have children and ensure no healthcare provider faces legal consequences for trying to help their patients as they seek to build their families.”
“This legislation also increases access to IVF treatments for all Americans by mandating that employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public insurance plans cover fertility treatment,” Tipton wrote. “Significantly, it would ensure the federal government does right by its own employees by providing coverage for active-duty military, veterans, and civilian staff.”
The World’s Resource Institute Electric School Bus Initiative published a 68-page on the geographic distribution of school buses, fuel types and their emissions control technology.
WRI said the goal of the analysis released last month is to understand what school districts and populations are exposed to emissions from the oldest, most polluting school buses as well as which socioeconomic characteristics of districts are implementing electric school buses (ESB).
The research found that the most polluting buses in the U.S. — those that are older and lack modern emissions reduction technology — are operated in school districts with higher shares of low-income households and residents of color. But, WRI notes these districts are also at the front of the ESB transition. Rural school districts are also more likely to have older buses, however their fleets are also smaller overall.
WRI identified Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon, Kansas and South Dakota as the top five states with the greatest number of pre-2010 diesel school buses in operation. The analysis found that 75 percent of all Oklahoma buses are pre-2010 diesel buses, followed by Idaho at 55 percent.
Meanwhile, the report states, “As of Dec. 31, 2022, there were 5,612 committed ESBs across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” The figure includes 21 ESBs in five tribal schools and one private school operated by a tribal nation. States with the most committed ESBs are California with 1,852, followed by Maryland at 361 and New York at 310.
Aas of June 2024, the Electric School Bus Initiative website shows ESB adoption has grown to a total commitment of 12,164 buses, two-thirds of which were funded by the EPA Clean School Bus Program. Of those buses, the Electric School Bus Data Dashboard says 4,502 are in operation nationwide with 5,977 awarded ESBs and 1,717 ordered ESBs
Another $200 million will soon be headed to school districts that must meet a state mandate to purchase electric school buses starting in 2027.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the second round of $500 million available to school districts and bus contractors on Monday. The first round of $100 million was announced last October. The New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP) distributes the funds, which are part of the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Clean Jobs Environmental Bond Act approved by voters two years ago. NYSBIP provides support for the purchase of electric buses, charging infrastructure or fleet electrification planning as public schools transition to zero-emission technologies.
Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), NYSBIP provides incentives to eligible school districts and bus fleet operators purchasing electric buses. The funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis with funding covering up to 100 percent of the incremental cost of a new or repowered school bus. Also available are vouchers that can help offset the cost of installing Level 2 or DC fast chargers. All New York school districts also qualify for funding for fleet electrification plans.
“Paving the way for zero-emission school buses not only cleans our air, it protects the health and wellbeing of our students,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “With increased funding for schools to transition to clean transportation options, we are reducing harmful emissions and pollution, helping to ensure that both students and residents are breathing clean, fresh air and enjoying healthier environments to live, work and do business.”
All new school buses purchased statewide as of Jan. 1, 2027, must be zero emissions. All school district and contractor fleets must also be 100 percent zero emissions by 2035. The NYSBIP defines zero emissions as electric or hydrogen fuel cell school buses, though only the former are currently available.
Priority districts identified as high-need school districts and disadvantaged communities are available to receive larger funding amounts.
Since NYSBIP’s launch, a press release states that more than 75 school districts, 51 located in disadvantaged communities, have applied for funds to purchase 350 buses. Almost half of the state’s districts are working with NYSERDA to create Fleet Electrification Plans, and to date 250 districts have already started developing plans. More than 100 districts are in the process of applying for fleet planning in coordination with their local BOCES districts, the release adds.
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