Local News

Lake Washington, Everett bond measures fall short: Bond measures in the Lake Washington and Everett school districts failed to garner enough votes in the first round of results released Tuesday evening. Both proposals were scaled-back versions of earlier plans that were rejected by voters in February.

Tulsa Head Start program helps kids by helping their parents (NPR): A nonprofit in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city regarded as a model for early-childhood education, links its Head Start program with career training and other support systems for parents. Organizers say they’ve seen parents develop more confidence and several go back to school to finish their degrees.

Supreme Court upholds affirmative-action ban (AP): The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Michigan’s affirmative-action ban in a 5-2 decision today. The ruling bolsters a similar voter-approved ban in Washington that prohibits public colleges and universities from using race as a factor in admissions decisions.

Borrowers ordered to repay student loans in full when co-signers die (AP): The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it is getting more complaints from borrowers who have been unexpectedly ordered to repay their student loans in full following the death of a parent or grandparent who served as a co-signer. Many private loan companies include mention of that possibility in their contracts; federal student loans are not affected.

Officials ‘fully expect’ to lose No Child Left Behind waiver: The Washington OSPI is now discussing “when,” not “if” the U.S. Department of Education will revoke the state’s No Child Left Behind waiver. Without the waiver, districts would lose control of about $40 million in federal Title 1 funding. A decision is expected by the end of the month.

State needs to do more to help high-school counselors (editorial): The Seattle Times editorial board is calling for more guidance counselors who can help Washington students navigate the complex college-application process. The editorial follows a April 13 Education Lab story about how nonprofit programs are stepping up to help low-income students pursue higher education.

WWU president over language in push for diversity (AP): Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard has drawn criticism for his comments that “ … if in decades ahead, we are as white as we are today, we will have failed as a university.” Shepard says he is being intentionally provocative in order to emphasize the need for more diversity at Western.

Student who was stabbed receives $1.5 million: A King County jury has awarded $1.5 million to April Lutz, a former Snohomish High School student who was stabbed in a school bathroom in 2011 and nearly died. Her attacker, a fellow student, had been expelled for threatening to kill another student’s boyfriend but was later allowed to return to class.

Veterans face challenges paying for higher education (NPR): A variety of programs exist to help veterans pay for college, but many face confusion figuring out which funds they qualify for and what paperwork they need to fill out. Many schools are opening veteran resource centers to help students navigate the financial-aid maze.

Portland school board members express concern over Common Core (The Oregonian): Board members who generally support the standards say they are worried about teacher preparedness and whether schools have the technology and materials to implement the tests.

Former food workers cost Edmonds School District thousands (The Herald): A state auditor’s report has uncovered additional expenses in a scam involving former food workers in the Edmonds School District. Investigators now say the two employees billed for 5,276 bogus student meals, receiving $14,774.75 in federally subsidized pay that they never earned.

Eastside voters about to decide second school bond in two months (KING 5): The Lake Washington School District is once again asking voters to approve a bond measure that would provide funding for new schools and expand existing buildings. The $404-million bond is about half the cost of a similar measure that was voted down in February.

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Small U.S. colleges face declining enrollments (Bloomberg): Many small, private colleges across the U.S. are seeing enrollments decline, leading to a sharp increase in the number of schools experiencing ratings cuts. Some colleges are targeting different student populations, while others are offering bigger financial aid packages in an effort to draw more students.

Cowlitz County confronts shortage of substitute teachers (The Daily News): Schools across Cowlitz County are scrambling to find substitute teachers, with some using principals and uncertified teachers as emergency fill-ins. The Longview School District says its pool of substitute teachers has been depleted by a recent shift to all-day kindergarten and reduced class sizes.

WSU considers opening medical school in Spokane (AP): A projected need for more doctors has prompted Washington State University to consider opening a new medical school at its Spokane campus. Washington currently has one medical school — at the main UW campus in Seattle — and WSU officials say doctor shortages in Eastern Washington are creating an additional need.

Denver schools hire undocumented immigrants as teachers (AP): Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg says his district has hired two teachers who qualified to stay in the U.S. under President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. ”Anything that touches on immigration generates a level of attention and controversy,” he told the AP. “But for us, this is about finding the very best teachers for our kids.”

Bus crash claims lives of students taking college tour: At least 10 people were killed and dozens hospitalized when a FedEx truck crashed into a tour bus taking Los Angeles-area high-school students to a college tour in Northern California on Thursday. The bus was headed to Humboldt State University for a two-day Preview Plus program designed for low-income and first-generation prospective students.

Oregon’s special-education students now eligible for financial aid (The Oregonian): Students in Oregon who have earned modified high-school diplomas are once again eligible for financial aid following reversal of an earlier federal ruling. At issue was whether the state’s modified diploma qualified as a genuine high-school diploma.

UW neuroscientist wins prize for science toy design: Robijanto Soetedjo took second place in a national contest for designing a bioelectric toy set that enables children to measure signals created by a working muscle. Soetedjo first came up with the idea for the toy while trying to explain his job as a neuroscientist to his children.

More students go hungry as college costs rise (The Washington Post): The number of college food banks has increased from four in 2008 to 121 today. Officials point to rising college costs and an influx of first-generation students as two possible reasons for the increase.