TRANSCRIPT
INTRO:
The U-S Department of Justice has ended another long-running school desegregation case in Louisiana. This time it’s in Bienville Parish.
As The Gulf States Newsroom's Aubri Juhasz reports, it’s part of a recent wave:
SOT:
“A federal appeals court recently said judges have to accept joint dismissals — like the one filed by the Bienville Parish School Board and the Department of Justice this week. That means if all parties want to close a case, a judge can't keep it open — even if a school district hasn’t fully eliminated the effects of segregation. Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, is working with the Trump administration to END the state’s remaining cases involving the DOJ. Because decades have passed, in some cases it is the only remaining plaintiff. School districts with desegregation orders must get permission from the court before making changes that could affect where kids attend school.”
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INTRO:
Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming says the state's K-Thru-12 School Transparency Project has identified questionable spending by Louisiana public and charter schools.
His office launched the portal last year. It allows the public to see how schools spend taxpayer dollars.
And Fleming says it has uncovered potential misuse of public funds:
SOT:
“Two-hundred and forty-eight thousand dollars on staff retreats, $216,961 on bars, liquor stores and restaurants.”
TAG:
Fleming says the financial data that the project provides has led to at least one complaint investigated by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The treasurer says the portal has illustrated how school systems have spent thousands of dollars on everything from balloons to fireworks - and he even discovered a political donation listed once.
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INTRO:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considering streamlining some federal Head Start requirements, giving states more control.
But as KERA’s Sujata Dand reports, providers worry that could affect child care programs in Texas:
SOT:
“Two-year-old Terriona Horton squishes pink Play-Doh with two classmates at American Care Academy in South Dallas. She’s been coming here since she was an infant. It’s one of about 1000 Head Start sites in Texas, serving more than 68,000 children. Terriona’s grandmother, Marquito Craig, says the free child care allowed Terriona’s mother to finish high school and now work in a hospital. Grandmother: You talking $200 and $300 a week just for a kid to attend. That’s $1200 to $1500 a month just to spend on child care.” Head Start doesn't just provide federal funding for Texas families; it also sets standards for staffing, safety and accountability. The Trump administration wants to eliminate some of those requirements and give states more control. In Texas, some standards are far less strict. In Terriona's class, Head Start caps class sizes to four two-year olds to one teacher. Texas licensing allows as many as eleven. WILLIAMS: “It’s insane. I’ve had that before, and I could not keep a teacher very long.”
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READER:
And in Arkansas… state leaders have unveiled a new online tool for high school students to apply for college.
And it promises to streamline the entire application process.It’s called the “Arkansas Access Portal.”
The portal has just one login and one application that will reach every campus in Arkansas without fees or barriers - and apply to as many as five participating colleges.
Just go to: araccessportal.adhe.edu
FORECAST:
The National Weather Service in Shreveport is calling for:
An extreme heat warning for portions of East Texas, Northwest Louisiana, and South Arkansas until 9 p.m. Friday, August 21, with a high near 103 and a feels like temperature as high as 112 degrees.
There is a 20% chance of afternoon showers & thunderstorms both this Friday and Saturday with highs both days near 101.
