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As kids and parents get ready for the back-to-school flurry, it doesn’t appear pocketbooks will open up quite as much as last year. According to three different national surveys, parents are planning to pare back on school spending this year, although the specific amount varies somewhat. As kids lament the end of their summer vacations, parents are on the hunt for ways to save as they equip their kids for their new classroom experiences.

Spending Expectations from National Retail Federation

The predicts spending for back-to-school to be significantly more per family than it was last year. This time last year, the average family in the United States spent $688 on school supplies, clothing, shoes, and backpacks to send the kids back to school in style. This year, that number is expected to be closer to $634.

The NRF predicts overall back-to-school and off-to-college spending will total $72.5 billion. The majority of that will come from college costs, while back-to-school spending should total around $26.7 billion of that larger number. The average family sending a child to college is expected to spend around $836, as opposed to $907 that was spent last year.

“The good news is that consumers are spending, but they are doing so with cost and practicality in mind,” Matthew Shay, president, and CEO of the National Retail Federation stated on the organization’s website. “Having splurged on their growing children’s needs last year, parents will ask their kids

Public school was established to provide a free education for everyone living in the United States. It has been dubbed the great equalizer, providing the same opportunities for all students, regardless of race, background or income level. However, some public schools are bucking this philosophy, at least for students who live outside their immediate boundaries. One of the recent trends catching fire in public schools across the country is the charging of tuition to students living outside district boundaries. Fair? It depends on who you ask.

Tuition Spreading, Rates Increasing

reports that many school districts across the country charge tuition to students who want to attend the school from outside the district. What is interesting about this latest trend is the amount of tuition charged, which is increasing exponentially at some in-demand schools. While the typical going rate for out-of-district transfers ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, some schools charge students $10,000 or more for a year of education.

The new rates are comparable to those at private schools, which some public institutions willingly admit they are trying to compete with. The school board president for the Rye Brook District in New York told Business Insider, “You get a first-rate education. You hear about charter schools. You hear about private schools. You hear about parochial schools. This is just another option.”

Rye Brook recently announced plans to charge tuition rates of $21,500 for slots in middle and high schools for

Student snacking during the school day is about to become a whole lot healthier, thanks to new federal standards. New “Smart Snacks” standards will ensure access to foods high in sugar, sodium, and calories will be limited during the school day, whether students are getting the snacks from vending machines in the school hallways or the cafeteria line. The new standards are not scheduled to go into effect until 2014, but already schools are getting ready for what the Smart Snacks standards will mean for their students – and possibly, their bottom line.

This video illustrates some of the possibilities for smart snacks.

Smarter Snacking from the USDA

According to a report at Living Green Magazine, the new standards are coming directly from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak stated at the Living Green website, “Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Parents and schools work hard to give our youngsters the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, and providing healthy options throughout school cafeterias, vending machines and snack bars will support their great efforts.”

The new Smart Snacks standards will require schools to remove foods like high-calorie soft drinks and sports beverages, candy bars, and cookies from cafeterias, snack bars, and school vending machines. Those selections will be replaced with flavored water, granola bars, and fruit cups. According to the

Studying language abroad is one of the best educational experiences you can have. There is no better way of learning a language than living in the country, being surrounded by native people daily, and using it daily. It works greatly towards achieving your language skills. You can meet new people and fellow international students, therefore, enhancing your experience as well as your professional network. If you are a foreign language major or want to make a career out of it, studying abroad is the best step you can take toward achieving it. It gives your resume the right amount of boost.

There are hundreds of destinations around the world that offer language study programs choosing from which can be an overwhelming task. So, we have listed some useful resources to help you find information related to language study abroad. We have divided the resources into three groups to help you find exactly what you are searching for.

General – Spanish Language Program – Italian Language Program

General

- This is a very useful website that offers great options for people who are interested in studying language abroad. This site provides a list of programs offered in several countries. It also offers a comprehensive idea about the local cultures and languages of several countries like Russia, Italy, Germany, China, and Spain.
- This website offers summer and academic year language study programs in nearly 40 countries in Asia and the Pacific,

Rigorous High School Gives Underprivileged Students Hope for Future

College is the future dream for many high school students, but that dream is more likely to become a reality for some students than others. Now, high school students in Newark have an option that can help them beat the odds and make that college dream a reality. Bard College has brought its proven track record of success to a Newark high school, offering students the chance to experience the rigors of college academics firsthand within the secure confines of a high school environment.

Bard High School Early College Newark

Bard High School Early College Newark (BHSEC Newark) is the latest in a series of college-based high schools created through Bard College. According to the , this school opened in 2011 as a partnership between the college and Newark 51�Թ�������. BHSEC Newark offers a rigorous, college-level curriculum and traditional high school academics that prepare students for life after high school.

What makes the Newark school unique is its commitment to enrolling students from a diverse range of backgrounds, giving students the chance to excel academically who might not have the opportunity otherwise. Students come from all Newark neighborhoods, including disadvantaged areas like Newark’s West Ward, where drugs and shootings are almost a way of life for the young residents of the community. The reports that BHSEC Newark is positioned across the street from a tire shop