With all eyes on Washington, the shifting sands of state higher education policy garnered little attention during election week. But state budgets will have a profound impact on everything from student aid to university budgets, infrastructure improvements, and workforce development.
Here are a few highlights from state and local races that will impact higher education in the year ahead:
California’s $10 billion education bond: California voters greenlit a $10 billion bond for educational infrastructure, aimed at modernizing facilities across K-12 schools and community colleges. $1.5 billion is earmarked for capital projects at the state’s 116 community colleges, helping to address aging facilities, support new campus construction and finance modernization efforts. [EdSource]
Republican gains and shifts in higher ed policy: Expect conservative lawmakers to flex their muscle on a wide range of issues from state higher education funding and workforce development to campus free speech and DE&I programming. Republicans made notable gains in several state legislatures. In Michigan, GOP victories in the House cost Democrats their trifecta, setting up budget battles over university funding. In North Carolina, Democrats defied national trends, weakening GOP supermajorities and giving Democratic Gov. Josh Stein more leverage on education policy in a state that has been a top allocator of state funding for higher education. [WTVD ABC11]
Rhode Island’s investment in higher ed infrastructure: Rhode Island voters approved a $160.5 million bond measure to upgrade higher ed facilities, including the construction of a biomedical sciences building at the University of Rhode Island and cybersecurity and upgrades to Rhode Island College’s Institute of Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies to help create pathways to roles in the state’s manufacturing, health care, and maritime (or “blue economy”) sectors.
New Mexico bets big on higher ed spending with $230 million bond: New Mexico passed a $230 million bond supporting public higher ed, tribal schools, and special public institutions. The bond follows legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this year, which established a lottery-funded program for free tuition. This latest funding round will fuel critical campus upgrades, enhancing resources for a diverse student body across the state.
