Koen de Vries

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Counties Request Sales Tax Increase

By Koen de Vries | April 26

Counties across the state are pressing the N.C. General Assembly for permission to increase local sales taxes to cope with potential funding losses resulting from the state budget crisis.Lawmakers in the N.C. General Assembly filed several bills Monday that would give the counties they represent the authority to impose a one-half cent or 1 cent local sales tax. In addition, some lawmakers have proposed a trade-off between local and state governments. If such a deal is struck, counties would be allowed to levy 1 cent local sales taxes.

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Less-Experienced BOG To Take Helm in June

By Koen de Vries | April 18

As the UNC-system Board of Governors prepares to deal with issues such as re-examining its tuition-setting policy and weathering a state budget shortfall, it soon will experience a personnel transition that will leave more than half its members with little or no BOG experience.When new BOG members are sworn in during the June meeting, 17 of the 32 voting members will be serving their first terms.Nine will be only two years into their first four-year term, and eight will be newcomers. The eight new members were elected this month by the N.C.

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Bill Aims to Upgrade Low-Performing Schools

By Koen de Vries | April 17

Smaller classes, a longer school year and increased teacher incentives would aim to upgrade the state's lowest-performing elementary schools, under a bill proposed last week in the N.C. Senate. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Howard Lee, D-Orange, would give the state's 38 lowest-performing public schools an additional $33.6 million during the next two years.

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Senate Passes Educational Tax-Break Bill

By Koen de Vries | April 4

The U.S.

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INS to Monitor Students From `Unfriendly' Nations

By Koen de Vries | April 3

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service will launch a new system this year aimed at managing the flow of information regarding international students and scholars.The Student and Exchange Visitor Program monitors international students for INS and universities by constructing an extensive database on their backgrounds and personal information.

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BOG to Weigh Tuition Increase Requests

By Koen de Vries | March 7

Tuition increases at five UNC-system schools could be approved today at the monthly Board of Governors meeting.During the past few months, boards of trustees at five UNC-system schools have submitted tuition increase requests to UNC-system President Molly Broad.If the full BOG approves all the tuition increases as is, tuition would be raised $150 at N.C. Agricultural & Technical University, $160 at UNC-Pembroke, $200 for N.C. Central University undergraduates and $288 for N.C. Central graduates.

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N.C. Lawmakers Weigh Bills for Student BOG Vote

By Koen de Vries | February 21

RALEIGH -- The N.C.

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Teacher Shortage Hurts Hispanic Students

By Koen de Vries | February 8

The need for qualified Spanish-speaking teachers to meet a sudden influx of Hispanic students has contributed to a pre-existing teacher shortage in North Carolina.For years, state education officials have warned of a statewide teacher shortage that could worsen in the future. But the shortage is having an even greater impact on the state's growing Hispanic population.Fran Hoch, N.C.