Gregoire: Put K-12, higher ed under one dept. to save $
Plan would also give colleges more flexibility to raise tuition
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday proposed sweeping changes to Washington's school system that would centralize authority for kindergarten through the university level in in one giant department of education.
"We must create a student-focused education system that unites our scattered education agencies into a single department," Gregoire said at an Olympia news conference. "We will create an integrated education system, from pre-school to the Ph.D."
Lawmakers, facing a $4.6 billion deficit in the next two-year state budget, are looking for ways to save money. Last month $50 million was cut from public