Two surveys of educators examined the status of gifted programs in Connecticut during 1989 to 1991. The 1991 results indicate that increasing numbers of programs for the gifted are experiencing jeopardy resulting from the state's fiscal crisis. The number of program eliminations increased by 63% and program reductions rose by 11%. (Author/JDD)

As states scramble to spend and report on millions of dollars of education stimulus funds already flowing their way, they face another daunting task if they want a shot at even more money: navigating the complex application process for $4 billion from the Race to the Top Fund. Merely filling out the award application will take each state 642…

Discusses issues in school "pay-to-play" policies, the charging of fees for sports or other extracurricular activities, as a fund-raising strategy in response to budget shortfalls. Fees sometimes discourage economically disadvantaged students from participating and place pressure on parents. (LMI)

Discusses how grim state-budget forecasts are forcing some community colleges to consider turning away students as states withdraw enrollment-based appropriations. (EV)

Examples are given of how United States universities are being affected by and coping with the declining revenues accompanying the current recession. The role of business officers in providing the facts, information, and guidance needed by an administration making retrenchment decisions is discussed. (DB)

Examines three school districts [Richmond Unified School District (California), Coachella Valley Unified School District (California), and White Pine County School District (Nevada)] that faced financial disaster and then worked their way back to solvency. All three overspent revenues in the general fund, had unrealistic budgets, and lacked…

Describes how Colorado's Pueblo School District #70 dealt with impending funding cuts. The district developed a Budget Reduction Model to educate the public about the impact of loss of funding on various school-district goods and services. Presents the timeline and tools used to examine areas for potential cuts and to arrive at a consensus about…

The hundreds of cheerful Los Alamitos Elementary School pupils playing dodge ball and four-square on the school's vast playground on a recent day presented a sharp contrast with the worries their teachers and parents face. Though their school is in one of the nation's richest areas, it has such a bare-bones budget that it cannot afford such basic…

The superintendency has historically been vulnerable to high turnover. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the turnover among two groups of Illinois superintendents: those in school districts with severe financial problems, and those in districts without such problems. The purpose was to determine the relationship between…

The stage for the introduction of the Clinton Administration's fiscal year 1995 budget was largely set by the passage of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law in August 1993. In developing the budget, the Administration had to come up with enough spending cuts to meet the spending caps--as well as billions of dollars in additional cuts to…

Describes interviews conducted with administrators in Texas community colleges to determine how and why retrenchment policies are developed and their effects on the college. Suggests that policies are developed by committees of faculty and administrators to protect faculty and the college in times of financial crisis. (15 citations) (AJL)

Northeastern University (Massachusetts) has reduced its size by one-fifth, cut $60-million from its budget, eliminated 700 jobs, dropped or merged several programs, frozen salaries, and cut other costs in a successful retrenchment effort. Many agree the "rightsizing" was handled in a fair, humane way; others are angered. (MSE)

This pilot study looked at the British lay public's evaluation of 20 different disciplines by asking them to rank-order them. In a cutting-saving exercise those departments (disciplines) thought most worthy of saving were English, mathematics, and computer science; those rated as least important were anthropology, film and media studies, and…

Discusses ways to overcome the financial crisis facing many universities in developing countries, including providing greater resources to higher education; raising tuition; privatizing higher education; admitting only the best candidates; attracting foreign students; requiring graduates' employers to compensate universities; linking industry and…

Describes how Bennett College, an historically black women's institution, is trying to regroup after its latest president lasted only seven months. (EV)