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K-12 Cuts Continue Despite Stimulus Funds

Fiscal forecast remains gloomy for recovery of states’ coffers

Despite the nearly $40 billion infused into state coffers to help steady state education budgets under the federal economic-stimulus package, some states remain in dismal fiscal straits, forcing further cuts to K-12 programs.

States such as Pennsylvania that recently wrapped up protracted legislative sessions were forced to make sometimes-painful adjustments to cope with declining revenues, despite the unprecedented aid under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus law.

Lawmakers in other states, including New Mexico, are heading back for special sessions to consider further reductions to their budgets for...