NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County Board of Training mentioned layered themes of focus for his or her 2025 legislative priorities at their board assembly on Tuesday. The overarching subjects embrace funding and assets, instructing and studying, psychological well being and wellbeing, security and safety and the fortification of public schooling.
A presentation by District 1 consultant Trey Bailey gave perception into every particular theme.
Relating to funding and assets, Bailey stated that the board will assist measures that present sufficient and equitable assets. This contains prioritization of funding that ensures useful resource distribution is in step with faculty districts’ distinctive wants and modernizing the standard based mostly schooling (QBE) funding components.
The board is seeking to modernize the QBE in order that it accounts for security and safety funding, pupil poverty and up to date funding for labeled staff and psychological well being assist personnel.
“Laws that advances these pursuits will allow our district to raised tackle the rising wants of our college students which instantly impacts their general wellbeing and educational success,” Bailey stated.
Amongst instructing and studying priorities, the board’s initiative is to advance the balanced accountability system which emphasizes pupil development and progress together with advocating for laws that advances digital fairness. It will present assets to colleges that assure excessive pace web entry to college students.
Whereas presenting, Bailey stated that making certain the psychological and emotional wellbeing of scholars is an more and more vital precedence and has been a important focus throughout board conferences. The consensus of the board is that they’re in assist of laws that expands entry to psychological healthcare companies in colleges, making it a precedence to advocate for measures that increase entry, reminiscent of coaching for teachings to assist pupil wants.
“This complete method will higher place us to satisfy the rising demand for psychological well being assist companies in our colleges and facilitate a more healthy studying setting for all college students,” Bailey stated.
Though the board’s core accountability is to advance pupil achievement, Bailey stated that their first obligation is to maintain college students secure and shield the educational setting.
To perform this, the board is advocating for laws that strengthens penalties for misconduct and allocation of assets to colleges that will assist determine cyber threats in order that college students can be taught with out concern.
By these numerous legislative efforts, the board shared its assist for the fortification of public schooling which offers high quality public schooling to all communities. The board plans to take action by prioritizing laws that empowers native faculty districts to make selections that finest meet the wants of their communities, making certain that academic decisions are topic to the identical rigorous requirements and that public funds are used effectively to serve college students.
“These legislative priorities mirror the districts dedication to our organizational mission,” Bailey stated. “By advocating for equitable funding, supporting psychological well being companies, making certain security and by empowering native choice making we’ll proceed to drive enhancements in our district and supply the assets needed for pupil and methods success.”
After additional dialogue, vice-chair Shakila Henderson-Baker, steered altering the wording for the protection and safety precedence that mentions allocation of assets. Henderson-Baker stated that faculty methods want a quantitative determine that makes funding sensible and honest to everybody within the state.
Regardless of the governor and legislators giving cash to districts, Henderson-Baker feels it’s usually not sufficient.
“Truthfully talking, that doesn’t even pay for one officer if you put wage and advantages in it,” Henderson-Baker stated. “So we nonetheless depart districts alone to fend for themselves.”
Bailey famous that the QBE, which is the place security funding needs to be discovered, was fashioned in 1985 — virtually 40 years in the past. Since this time, many issues have modified to have a top quality based mostly schooling.
“I don’t consider the funding components is correct for immediately and it actually must be checked out,” Bailey stated.
