EUGENE, Ore. - Pell Grants are a lifeline for many students attending college, but the federal aid covers far less than it used to. That's why student groups, colleges and universities are urging Congress to pass a measure to double the amount allotted to students.

The maximum Pell Grant for this academic year is about $6,500. Jim Brooks, director of student financial aid and scholarships at the University of Oregon, said many have criticized the grants for not keeping up with the cost of college.

"If you think about $13,000 in cost of attendance, that would have a big impact on students everywhere," he said. "So personally, as someone who's been a Pell recipient and has worked with lots of students at more than one institution who are Pell eligible, I think doubling Pell would be incredible."

In the past, a Pell Grant covered as much as three-quarters of the cost of attending a public university. Today, it covers less than a third. About 90% of Pell Grants go to families with incomes of less than $50,000. More than $290 million in Pell Grants came to Oregon in the last disbursement.

Nearly 7 million students, or about 40%, are Pell Grant recipients, but they're still more likely to graduate with debt than other students. Brooks said folks are always concerned about the cost of college, and the pandemic has deepened those concerns.

"We have certainly seen more families who've been financially impacted by the pandemic, in one way or the other," he said, "whether it's a parent losing income or a parent being laid off for a while, losing their job completely because a business is closing."

Brooks said he sees Pell Grants as foundational - for families, and for students' future success.

"This is money they're going to have that they can use for educational costs and they aren't going to have to repay it," he said. "So, they reap the benefits of their education; that basically opens up job markets for them and it opens things up that they wouldn't have if they were not able to earn a college degree."

The University of Oregon also has a program called Pathway Oregon, which helps Pell Grant-eligible students pay tuition and other fees through a combination of federal, state and university funds. Nearly 1,200 organizations, including 900 colleges and universities, signed a letter to Congress in March urging members to double the maximum Pell Grant amount.

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Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

Ohio's charter schools have been a topic of debate for more than two decades, with strong opinions on both sides.

Charter schools operate independently of traditional public school districts, often promising more flexibility and innovation. However, concerns about funding persist.

Steve Dyer, former chair of the Ohio House Finance Committee and member of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, highlighted a new report exploring the significance of charter schools in Ohio which pointed out nearly half of all charters in the state have closed.

"Ohio's charter school experiment, which is now about 25 years old, has been an utter failure," Dyer asserted. "Because the state has so heavily invested in charter schools, the average charter school student gets more than double the amount of state funding that a kid in a local public school gets."

Dyer's concerns focus on the disparity in funding between charter and traditional public schools, with charter students receiving significant state support despite some schools underperforming.

According to the Ohio Department of Education, charter schools have higher closure rates, with nearly 50% of them closing by their 10th year. Critics argue the financial investment in a less stable educational system could take away from local public schools, which rely on a combination of state and local funding.

Others contended charter schools offer parents additional choices in educating their children.

William Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, stressed the quality of the options is critical.

"There's no qualifications established by the state of Ohio," Phillis pointed out. "Many operators have no clue as to what education is all about, have no clue in some cases how to operate a business. They just see it as a financial opportunity."

Ohioans remain divided on whether charter schools deliver on their promises. On one side, advocates believe in the value of offering educational options to parents. On the other, opponents question the sustainability and financial strain on the broader public education system.


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Following a Georgia high school shooting in early September, there's been a surge in school threats across the country.

In South Dakota, safety experts are teaching people to report threats - and teaching schools how to field them.

In mid-September, a threatening social media post caused the Meade School District to move into "secure" status.

After it was proven to be noncredible, County Sheriff Pat West pointed out that social media shares "spread like wildfire," and make investigations much more difficult.

Brett Garland is director of the South Dakota School Safety Program, within the Office of Homeland Security. He advised people to - "report, don't repost."

"We would prefer that schools, parents, students, community members, immediately get in touch with their law enforcement agency if they receive information regarding a threat," said Garland. "Definitely we would prefer they not share those threats in any way."

An anonymous tip line for concerns in South Dakota, called "Safe2Say," is available online or by phone 24/7.

Threatening a school, school transit or other place of assembly is a Class 4 felony in South Dakota.

The School Safety Center offers behavioral threat assessment training, teaching school staff and educators to recognize potential flags for violent behavior.

Garland said more than 200 schools have already participated.

"This training that will help schools," said Garland, "hopefully interrupt somebody on that pathway to violence, before it gets to any sort of active attack."

He said school staff learn to develop a "multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment team," to identify and evaluate threats before deciding on the right intervention.

But he added that there's no specific profile for someone who may be making threats.



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Custodians are often the unseen workers who ensure school buildings operate but in Washington state, understaffing can make their work difficult.

Custodians run a gamut of tasks in schools from cleaning to maintenance.

Amanda Shull, head custodian at Kentlake High School in Kent and a member of the American Federation of Teachers Kent Classified, said when there is not enough staff, they have to pick up more tasks during the day.

"I have to say that all the time: we are understaffed," Shull emphasized. "Somebody called out today and we weren't sent any help. So, it greatly affects us because receiving that extra task determines the rest of our day."

A report from the League of Education Voters found Washington state lawmakers are struggling to properly fund the state's 295 school districts. While the state has increased spending on staff, the costs for other items like food, repairs and natural gas have gone up at an even faster rate since the start of the pandemic.

Shull noted her staff often works out of sight of the rest of the people at the school.

"People see me but you never see the real ones that come after school is out, after the events are over, the quiet ones that clean up and make everything presentable for the next day so classes can happen," Shull explained.

Shull stressed the lack of proper funding affects custodians in other ways, such as with equipment shortages. She added she always tells her team when a teacher or student offers appreciation for their work.