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Bullying is a problem that can permeate every corner of a child’s life. While school districts across the country take a “no tolerance” stand on bullying, the reality is that many incidents go by without being adequately reported or punished. A non-profit group in Iowa hopes to change the situation through a website allowing parents, students, and faculty to report bullying right from home. The hope is that by making it easier for people to report bullying activities, fewer incidents will go unnoticed by those who can do something about them.

The Eychaner Foundation Introduces Online Reporting

The Eychaner Foundation is a non-profit group in Iowa that promotes tolerance and nondiscrimination among all Iowa residents. According to a report at Heartland Connection, the organization discovered that although Iowa law requires bullying incidents to be reported to the Iowa Department of Education, more than half of all state districts failed to report a single bullying episode during 2011.

“We know that is simply not true,” Michael Bowser, executive director for the Eychaner Foundation, told the Des Moines Register.

While the organization found many possible reasons why reporting was not done, those involved decided to find a solution rather than play the blame game. The foundation set out to make the reporting process as easy as possible for everyone involved in hopes of uncovering and dealing with more bullying problems in Iowa schools.

“Everything’s online for kids. Parents can go online and find their child’s lunch menu for

When Kansas City Public Schools lost their accreditation in September, many predicted that when that decision went into effect on January 1, 2012, there would be a mass exodus of students from Kansas City Public Schools to neighboring school districts. While this prediction is shaping up to be somewhat accurate, some surrounding suburban school districts are taking measures to keep student transfers to a manageable number. For five school districts, court action may be required to ensure the changes coming to Missouri schools do not hit them where it hurts most – right in the pocketbook.

This video reports on the Kansas City Public Schools loss of accreditation in 2011.

Student Transfers: Who Pays?

Currently, Missouri law requires unaccredited districts to pay to send students to accredited districts nearby if the students request the transfer. However, according to a report in the , the cash-strapped Kansas City Public Schools district has admitted it cannot afford to pay for bus transportation for transfers outside the three closest school districts. The Kansas City Board of Education has not addressed the issue of tuition costs, leaving neighboring school districts wondering if they will get reimbursement for the additional students they are called upon to educate.

In addition, the district will not authorize transfers for students who have not attended a Kansas City Public School for at least two full

When the economy slowed to a nearly grinding halt a few short years ago, school districts across the country quickly felt the pinch. States were forced to slash budgets, leaving less funding for their schools and other public services. School districts had to come up with creative solutions to the financial challenges in an effort to meet the growing needs of students. Today, some school districts, like ones in Colorado, are getting tired of pinching their pennies, particularly in light of the fact that state governments may be sitting on much needed resources without allotting them appropriately. In fact, a number of Texas school districts have taken their state to court – in hopes of providing more and equitable funding to students throughout the Longhorn State.

A Lawsuit is Filed

The largest school districts in Texas recently filed a lawsuit against their state government, alleging the public school system in Texas is both inadequate and inequitable. This suit is the fourth of its kind filed against the state since June, 2011, when the legislature ended their session. This particular lawsuit, according to a report at the , includes more than 60 school districts that currently serve around 1.3 million Texas students. This brings the total litigation against the state to more than 500 Texas school districts, serving approximately 3.3 million children.

“We wish litigation weren’t necessary, but the nature of school finance just seems to be that you have this back-and-forth dialogue

Like other states, Colorado has seen more than its share of budget cuts that have impacted public services throughout the state. Unfortunately, many cuts have trickled down to Colorado’s public education system, which some argue has shortchanged the students who attend Colorado schools. In recent years, many school districts have decided to take matters into their own hands by suing the state government responsible for ensuring their funding. In an exciting turn of events, a court ruling and a budget windfall have occurred nearly simultaneously in the state, providing a reason for some to be slightly more optimistic about the state of public education in Colorado.

This TED Talk discusses school funding as it is tied to student attendance.

Lobato vs. the State of Colorado

In 2005, a lawsuit was filed against the state of Colorado by one of the state’s school districts. The lawsuit, initiated by the San Luis Valley School District, claimed that the state had shortchanged the public education system by $2 to $4 billion per year, leaving educators grappling with how to meet state and federal standards in education without appropriate resources from which to draw. Other school districts across the state joined the lawsuit as more educators hopped on the bandwagon to urge state lawmakers to give schools what districts believe is their constitutional due.

Recently, the judge overseeing the Lobato vs. State of Colorado lawsuit gave