Alaska agrees to settle lawsuit over school funding

From The Anchorage Daily News: The state of Alaska has reached a tentative agreement to settle an 8-year-old lawsuit over education quality. Plaintiffs in the case contended the state had failed to meet its constitutional obligation to provide an education to schoolchildren. The settlement, which a judge must still approve, calls for the state to provide $18 million to help boost achievement at the 40 lowest-performing schools. About 4,500 students attended the 40 affected schools last year, according to an education department spokesman.