Coming reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act has brought up serious issues with the formula the federal government uses to allocate monies under Title I, the program that targets financial support to high-poverty schools. Inequity in the formula disadvantages poor rural school districts including, as it turns out, Central Appalachian school districts.
Marty Strange of the Rural School and Community Trust explains the issue in an article in the Daily Yonder. The weighting system used to determine funding gives more allocation per Title I student to larger districts than to smaller ones even if they have the same (or often even a smaller) share of students who are disadvantaged.
Among the 25 rural school districts that lose the most education funds because of this formula, several are in Central Appalachia: Floyd County, Kentucky; Cocke County, Tennessee; Campbell County, Tennessee; and Knox County, Kentucky. These districts each lost between $300,000 and $400,000 in education funding in the most recent year due to the formula. And as Strange notes, the rural districts that are the biggest losers are often in states that chronically underfund education.
Strange’s analysis is contained in a report for the Formula Fairness Campaign.
Jason Bailey is Director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy and serves as Research and Policy Director of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development.
Local artisans and entrepreneurs are hoping to bring life back to the rural communities along Route 7 in eastern Kentucky through antique shops and by investing in local artists.
Community Members hope to revitalize Route 7
appalachiantransition.org
Route 7 Antique Alley and Route 7 Artisan Fellowship are teaming up in eastern Kentucky, working across county lines, and hoping to make change happen in their communities. With 5,200 plus members …
shared 's post.
"A just transition requires reinvesting in regions that have historically relied on fossil fuel extraction as their economic engine. These communities fueled the growth of our nation and paid a heavy toll with the lives of their workers and the health of their communities. Creating a just transition means building a new economy that is diverse, sustainable and provides opportunities for all."
The folks at have made this awesome video about Pine Mountain and their efforts to preserve it. Take a few minutes to watch it today - you won't regret it.
KNLT has completed production of our short film The Wildlands of Pine Mountain. The film was shown at film festivals in Louisville and Morehead over the last few months. We are pleased to now share it with you. Produced by: Kertis Creative Script by: KNLT Narration by: Joan Shelley Music by: Warren Byrom & Joan Shelley We want to thank the following organizations for their financial support of this project: Owsley Brown II Family Foundation, Snowy Owl Foundation, Forecastle Foundation, Land Trust Alliance, Patagonia and Wolverine Worldwide.