State schools Superintendent Tom Luna, beginning his public school budget presentation, told lawmakers, “Overall, our schools are doing better as evidenced by our Five Star Rating System.” The top 5-star rating is not easy to get, he said; fewer than 100 schools statewide have it. But, he said, “Today, we have more 5-star schools than the year before and fewer 1-star schools.”

He urged lawmakers to read the full report from the governor’s school improvement task force. “When totaled, we estimate the recommendations will cost $350 million to $400 million over the course of 5 to 6 years,” Luna said. “We strongly believe implementation must begin today.”

He said his budget proposal for next year is designed to start that process.