According to the Washington Post, education was on the ballot in a number of states on November 7. Here is a rundown of the issues, to be updated as we learn results. Latest update: November 12. See below the fold.
Below the fold, states with their education initiatives are listed in alphabetical order.
Update: EdWeek.org promises a rolling update of election results, including comments on gubernatorial and congressional races where education was an issue.
If a state has no listing, I could not find any education issue on a ballot. Phrasing is from the Washington Post’s list — I have not yet checked each initiative; every initiative I have checked is quite accurately described in the Post’s list.
ALABAMA
Macon County Board of Education election (Statewide Amendment Number 3)
This measure would provide for the election of Macon County Board of Education. Text of Ballot Item – Measure passed, 61% in favor of about 750,000 votes cast.
School district property taxes (Statewide Amendment Number 2)
This measure would require an additional “ad valorem,” a Latin phrase meaning “according to value,” property tax in certain school districts to ensure every school district in the state is levied a base amount. Text of Ballot Item – Measure passed, 59% in favor of about 1 million votes cast.
ARKANSAS
Higher education bond (Referred Question 1)
This measure would authorize the state’s finance authority to issue higher education bonds not to exceed a principal of $250 million in order to finance the cost of developing technology and facility improvement projects for the state’s higher education institutions. Text of Ballot Item
CALIFORNIA
Penalties for sex offenders (Proposition 83)
This measure would increase penalties for violent and habitual sex offenders and child molesters, prohibit registered sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of any school or park, and require lifetime Global Positioning System monitoring of felony-registered sex offenders. It would also change the current two-year involuntary civil commitment for a sexually violent predator to an indeterminate commitment. Text of Ballot Item – Measure passed, 71% of about 7 million ballots cast.
Property tax (Proposition 88)
This would provide additional public school funding for kindergarten through grade 12 by imposing a $50 tax on each real property parcel. Funds must be used for class size reduction, textbooks, school safety, academic success facility grants, and a data system to evaluate educational program effectiveness. This measure would prohibit fund use for school administrative overhead. Text of Ballot Item – Measure failed, 77% of about 6.7 million ballots.
School bonds (Proposition 1D)
This measure would authorize borrowing $10.4 billion through the sale of bonds to provide aid to school districts, community colleges, and universities to construct and modernize education facilities. Text of Ballot Item – Measure passed, 56% of about 6.7 million ballots.
Tax on cigarettes (Proposition 86)
This measure would impose an additional 13 cent tax on each cigarette distributed ($2.60 per pack), and indirectly increase tax on other tobacco products to provide funding to hospitals for emergency services, nursing education, and health insurance for children. The revenue would also be allocated to tobacco use prevention programs, enforcement of tobacco-related laws, and research, prevention and treatment of cancer. Text of Ballot Item – Measure failed, with 52% of 6.8 million ballots opposed.
COLORADO
65 percent solution (Amendment 39)
This measure would amend the Colorado Constitution to require a school district to spend at least 65 percent of its operational expenditures on classroom instruction. Text of Ballot Item – Measure failed, with 62% of about 1.3 million ballots opposed.
School district expenditures for instruction (Referendum J)
This measure would require that each school district spend at least 65 percent of its operational expenditures on services that directly affect student achievement. Text of Ballot Item – Measure rejected by 58% of about 1.3 million ballots.
FLORIDA
Tobacco education campaign (Constitutional Amendment 4)
This measure would require the Legislature to use some tobacco settlement money each year for a comprehensive statewide tobacco education and prevention program. Text of Ballot Item
HAWAII
University of Hawaii Board of Regents (constitutional amendment 1)
This measure would require the governor to select candidates for the University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents from a pool of candidates proposed by the board’s candidate advisory council. Text of Ballot Item
IDAHO
Sales tax increase (Proposition 1)
This measure would increase kindergarten through 12th-grade education funding for local public schools by increasing the state sales tax by 1 percent. Text of Ballot Item
LOUISIANA
East Baton Rouge schools (Ballot Number 8)
This measure would treat the central community school system in East Baton Rouge Parish as a parish for the purpose of education funding under the Louisiana Constitution. Text of Ballot Item
Sept. 30: School board funding (Ballot Number 9)
This measure, on the September 30 ballot, would amend the constitution to prohibit any law, unless enacted by a two-thirds majority of the legislature, from being applicable to local educational bodies without providing or authorizing funding to local school boards. Text of Ballot Item
Sept. 30: State-funded permanently endowed funds (Ballot Number 10)
This measure, on the September 30 ballot, would authorize the investment in stocks of up to 35 percent of the state-funded permanently endowed funds of public or private colleges and universities. Text of Ballot Item
MICHIGAN
Educational funding (Proposal E)
This measure would require that the Legislature establish and appropriate minimum funding levels for Michigan’s public elementary and secondary schools, intermediate school districts, community colleges, public universities and independent nonprofit colleges or universities. Text of Ballot Item
NORTH DAKOTA
Common schools trust fund (Constitutional Measure No. 1)
This measure would revise the North Dakota Constitution provisions governing management and distribution of common schools trust fund and the trust funds of other educational and charitable institutions. Text of Ballot Item
NEBRASKA
Early childhood education (proposed amendment No. 5 )
This measure would dedicate $40 million for early childhood education, provided that $20 million is raised from the private sector. Text of Ballot Item
School district consolidation ( )
This measure would require a vote before a school district can be dissolved, or affiliated with, or merged into another school district. Text of Ballot Item
NEVADA
Board of Regents (AJR 11)
This measure would amend the Nevada Constitution to provide for election of certain members and gubernatorial appointment of certain members of Board of Regents, and specify number and terms of members. Text of Ballot Item
Educational funding (Ballot Question 1)
This measure would require the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds to operate Nevada’s public schools before approving any other spending. It originally passed in November 2004, but constitutional amendments in Nevada must be approved in two consecutive elections before going into effect. Text of Ballot Item
RHODE ISLAND
Bond issues (questions 4-9)
There are six separate bond issues on the Rhode Island ballot. The first (Question 4 on the ballot) authorizes borrowing $72.8 million through the sale of bonds to fund construction of new facilities at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College. The second (Question 5) authorizes borrowing $88.5 million through the sale of bonds to fund public transportation facilities. The third (Question 6) authorizes borrowing $11 million through the sale of bonds to upgrade facilities at the Providence Zoo. The fourth (Question 7) authorizes borrowing $4 million through the sale of bonds to renovate Fort Adams State Park in Newport. The fifth (Question 8) authorizes borrowing $3 million through the sale of bonds to fund the Local Recreation Development Program. The sixth (Question 9) authorizes borrowing $50 million through the sale of bonds to finance construction of affordable housing. Text of Ballot Item
SOUTH DAKOTA
School terms (Initiated Measure 3)
State law currently allows local school boards to establish the start of a regular school term on any date. This measure would prohibit school boards from establishing the start of a regular school term prior to the last day of August. Text of Ballot Item
WYOMING
Creation of permanent funds (Constitutional Amendment C)
This measure would authorize creation of permanent funds for two purposes: higher education scholarships and improving the quality of higher education. Text of Ballot Item
Permanent mineral trust fund (Constitutional Amendment A)
This measure would clarify that all monies deposited in the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund are inviolate permanent funds of the state. Text of Ballot Item
School funding equalization (Constitutional Amendment B)
The Wyoming Supreme Court has held that school funding must be equalized among all school districts in the state. Adoption of this amendment would repeal current limitation on the amount of property tax revenues that may be redistributed through the School Foundation Program Account from school districts with greater property tax revenues to other school districts in the state. Text of Ballot Item
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 