The eight states are the usual southern bastions of education:

• Alabama - up to $50
• Georgia - up to $20
• Missouri - up to $50
• New Mexico - up to $15
• North Carolina - up to $100
• South Carolina - unlimited savings!
• Tennessee - up to $100
• Virginia - up to $20
• Washington D.C. - up to $100 through August 10

2008 State Sales Tax Holidays [Federation of Tax Administrators]
Do your homework before buying school supplies [The Chicago Tribune]

Angry anti-corporate long-haired hippie Ryan Klute had this to say of the arrangements:

"I'm not an angry long-haired hippie against corporations, but it's a bad idea when the university and the company have a vested interest in you spending your money so they can make money off you."

The schools benefit from the exclusive agreements whenever students swipe the cards. They also receive annual payoffs that can reach $1 million. The banks cash-in when students like Brad Vehafric, a Portland State junior, accidently overcharge their account and get hit with $150 in fees for buying a cup of coffee.

In 2007, 127 schools had joined with banks to issue ID cards that double as debit cards, a 144% jump from 2002, according to CR80News, an industry publication.

A USA TODAY survey of the nation's 15 largest universities by enrollment reveals that more than half now have bank card relationships with financial institutions. In most cases, that means the student ID card doubles as a debit card.

"If the big universities are doing it, then it's likely the small ones will follow," says Margaret Reed, an associate accounting professor at the University of Cincinnati. "If I were a student, I wouldn't be happy" that colleges are pushing a product that earns them money.

Students shouldn't assume the bank account and debit card promoted by the university will be a good deal for them, says Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

"In life, you're going to pay for convenience," McBride says. "If the goal is to get the most out of your money, it pays to shop around."

Students should stay away from anyone hocking freebies or offering curiously convenient deals. Instead, find a credit card with a low APR and ideally, rewards, and pay it off in full every single month.

Colleges' debit-card deals draw scrutiny [USA Today]
(Photo: Getty)

"At first it started out as a joke, then everyone else started saying we're protesting against like how short our lunch is," student Alyssa Concannon said.

Several lunch ladies who had to do the counting didn't think it was funny, even though some of the students put the coins in rolls. They're not authorized to put in their two cents but school officials say they felt disrespected and other students didn't get to eat lunch.

"There are ways to express yourself that are not disruptive to other kids and disrespectful to staff," said Readington Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jorden Schiff.

Eighth grader Jenny Hunt said in hindsight, the prank may have been a bad idea.

"Maybe we should have thought before we did it," Hunt said.

Students Punished After Buying Lunch With Pennies [CBS]
PREVIOUSLY: The Treasury Secretary Hates The Penny. Do You?
(Photo: Getty)

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Source: "A Report Card on the Nation: Survey of the States" [National Council on Economic Education]

However, the study focuses on winning bids of $14 and found that on these bids, buyers were on average willing to pay about $4 more to win. We wonder two things: does this scale to big-ticket purchases on eBay, where presumably shoppers have a greater incentive to seek out the best deal? ($14 is awfully close to an impulse or emotional purchase for a lot of eBay shoppers, we'd imagine.) And does this prove that eBay is a good deal, or that eBay shoppers tend to err on the side of willing to spend too much for the goods they're buying, especially at lower price points?

One of the authors suggests eBay make similar data more transparent to shoppers in order to "reignite its auctions business." EBay has said it's going to start shifting away from auctions in order to focus more on fixed-price goods, which already account for 40% of eBay's marketplace revenue.

"Tracking Consumer Savings on eBay" [NYT Bits blog]

RELATED
"New Research Finds Consumers Save More Than $7B by Shopping on eBay " [Robert H. Smith School of Business]
"EBay's New Leader Moves Swiftly on a Revamping" [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Tennessee has "one of the highest numbers of bankruptcy filings in the nation," and its students scored lower than the national average on a personal finance test (not that the national average—38%—was anything to be proud of):

Scores of Tennessee high schools already offer a personal finance course as an elective. But a 2006 survey by JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy shows that only 29.8 percent of Tennessee students who took a personal finance test passed it. The test covered topics from money management to savings and debt. Nationally, 38 percent of students who took the test passed it.

"State pushes money literacy" [The Tennessean]

RELATED
"Report Card - Survey of the States: Economic, Personal Finance, and Entrepreneurship Education in Our Nation's Schools in 2007" [NCEE]
(Photo: Getty)

"We are getting calls from people who are saying that they used some kind of an electronic software program to file their tax returns and that they did not check the box to donate their kicker," said Rosemary Hardin, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Revenue. "When we bring up their tax return, that box is checked."

Hardin said it's possible that people intentionally checked the box, then forgot. Still, the department is investigating.

Kicker checks — or thank-you letters for donations — began arriving in mailboxes Dec. 8.

About 12,000 people gave a total of $6.7 million in kicker refunds to the State School Fund this year.

That's twice as many people, and nine times as much money, as was donated to the fund in 2001, the last time there were kicker refunds.

"We're contacting at least one software company to have them look a little more deeply into their programming," Hardin said. "We're looking into if this is a glitch in some software programs or one software program."

Bob Meighan, a vice president with Turbo Tax, said the company has not received any complaints regarding Oregon's kicker provision.

He ran through the program Friday afternoon and said it clearly asks users whether they wanted to make the donation and warns them that the decision is irrevocable.

UPDATE: Oregon has been unable to locate the source of the problem and has decided to offer refunds to all taxpayers who filed electronically.

State School Fund Kicker Donation Update [Oregon]
Some report kicker funds donated erroneously [StatesmanJournal]
(Photo:CC and Sunny)

From the survey, which was distributed to 1,145 Ohio high schools, Loibl found that most personal finance curricula was taught by family and consumer science teachers (38 percent) or business education teachers (33 percent). Social studies teachers (20 percent) also often taught the subject. Teaching it to a lesser degree were math, science, technology, and agricultural science teachers (6 percent total), and other teachers, including English and fine arts (3 percent).

Not surprisingly, different teachers tended to focus on different personal finance topics in the classroom, Loibl found. Family and consumer sciences teachers were more likely to teach credit, budgeting, and financial goal-setting, while business teachers were more likely to focus on tax topics, credit and insurance and social studies teachers were more likely to teach about investments, taxes, and limited-resources topics.

The survey also quizzed the teachers on their own knowledge of personal finance topics, such as when is the best time to transfer money into a long-term bond fund, and what is the average credit score in the United States. Only two of the respondents answered all nine questions correctly. Only three questions were answered correctly by more than half of the teachers. Teachers from different disciplines had different strengths. For example, business education teachers (who earned the highest scores, overall) were more likely to know that negative financial information can stay on a person's credit report for seven to 10 years, while social studies teachers were more likely to know the best average returns over the last 20 years have been generated by stocks in comparison with other investment options.

"Study examines how Ohio high schools teach personal finance" [North Texas e-News]

RELATED
"'Checkbook Math' Being Phased Out Of High Schools"
Quicklink: Ohio mandates personal finance education in high school

The problem, writes the Washington Post, is that since higher math classes and "consumer math" classes teach very different skill sets, many students graduate high school competent in higher math but unfamiliar with the sort of basic knowledge used to manage bank accounts, loans, and investments.

"This is actually the one class I think is realistic toward becoming an adult," said Rountree, 17. "We learn how to balance checkbooks, which is a life need. We've learned how to purchase a car on kelleybluebook.com. Consumer math is, I think, the one class that has actually helped me."

Fennell, of the math teachers council, believes high schools should retool consumer math as a more rigorous course, with exercises rooted in algebra rather than arithmetic, exploring such topics as the complexities of a cellphone plan and the spiraling debt engendered by a credit card.

The nutrition standards would allow only plain bottled water and eight-ounce servings of fruit juice or plain or flavored low-fat milk with up to 170 calories to be sold in elementary and middle schools. High school students could also buy diet soda or, in places like school gyms, sports drinks. Other drinks with as many as 66 calories per eight ounces could be sold in high schools, but that threshold would drop to 25 calories per eight-ounce serving in five years.

Food for sale would have to be limited in saturated and trans fat and have less than 35 percent sugar. Sodium would be limited, and snacks must have no more than 180 calories per serving for middle and elementary schools and 200 calories for high schools.

The standards would not affect occasional fund-raising projects, like Girl Scout cookie sales.

Although states would not be able to pass stronger restrictions, individual school districts could.

The rules have the support of food and drink manufacturers, including the American Beverage Association, which worked closely on the amendment with Mr. Harkin's office and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has been critical of the food industry.

"This whole effort has momentum because of the variety of interests that have come together who do not usually find agreement," said Susan Neely, president of the beverage association.

Some parents and nutritionists are angry that states will not be able to enact even tougher limits.

The amendment's fate - and that of the larger farm bill - is precariously uncertain. Senate Republican's derailed the chamber's last attempt to bring up the farm bill by demanding the right to offer amendments repealing the estate tax and adjusting the alternative minimum tax. Cloture was rejected 55-42. Senate leadership is expected to wedge the Farm Bill back onto the crowded floor schedule for debate early next week.

Effort to Limit Junk Food in Schools Faces Hurdles [NYT]
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(Photo: Scott Ableman)

"You would think that with all the concern about childhood obesity that getting junk food and soda out of schools would be easy. But, it took us six years of hard work to pass our school nutrition legislation," said Mary Lou Hennrich, executive director of the Community Health Partnership: Oregon's Public Health Institute, who led Oregon's effort to improve school foods. "We welcome national action to build on what we and other states have done and ensure that all children go to school in junk-food-free environments."

Here's the report card:

A- Kentucky (1), Oregon (2)

B+ Nevada (3), Alabama (4), Arkansas (5), California (6),Washington (6), New Mexico (7)

B New Jersey (8), Arizona (9), Tennessee (9)

B- Louisiana (10), Texas (11),,West Virginia (12), Connecticut (13), Rhode Island (14), Florida (15)

C+ Hawaii (16)

C Maine (17), Mississippi (18), Illinois (19), District of Columbia (20)

C- Colorado (21), South Carolina (22)

D+ New York (23), Maryland (24), North Carolina (25)

D Oklahoma (26), Virginia (27)

D- Indiana (28), Georgia (29)

F Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming (All ranked 30)

The states which received an F have only the standard USDA guidelines, which the CSPI argues are "woefully out of date" because the USDA doesn't have the power to regulate foods that are sold outside of meal times (there is a national regulation that requires all schools to turn off their soft drink machines during lunch periods.)

The policy the CSPI rated #1 came from Kentucky and contains some fairly strict rules. No foods or beverages can be sold outside of the school lunch program until 1/2 hour after lunch periods end. No whole milk is allowed, only fat free or 1%. Water is allowed if it is noncaloric and un-carbonated. Only 100% juices are allowed. No sweetened beverages with more than 10 grams of sugar. No portion sizes over 17 oz for elementary schools, 20 oz for junior and senior high, and so on. There are portion controls on the menu items and sodium limits galore. Schools must limit sale of outside fast food (McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc.) to no more than once a week.

We think the "no whole milk" rule is a bit draconian. Then again, when we were in high school they served Pizza Hut every other day, so perhaps our idea of what is normal is irrevocably skewed.

School Foods Report Card 2007 (PDF) [Center For Science In The Public Interest]
(Photo:greencandy8888)

"We don't want to scare parents," says Hikind. Then he goes on to say, "Tell your children again and again: Wash, Cleanse, Cover."

"Taking Hand-Sanitizing to a New Level?" [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Concerned that developing countries will start drinking as much soda as we fatties here in the States (a legitimate worry, we must admit,) they're asking governments around the world to require soda companies to change the way they do business. They want more low-sugar alternatives to soda, smaller portion sizes of existing high-sugar sodas, prominent display of calorie information, and warning labels that warn consumers to drink water to quench thirst.

In addition, they're asking that soda companies "stop promoting and selling sweetened beverages, including sports drinks and fruit flavored beverages and teas, in all public and private elementary, middle, and high schools" and to instead sell fruit juice (in container sizes of 250 ml or less.)

These sorts of campaigns always remind us of something we noticed way back when we were in school. When kids were asked how to stop other kids from smoking, the first thing our classmates always said was, "Advertise against it," but when the instructor asked the class if they were influenced by advertising they always said no. Either the kids were lying or they knew that cheesy "don't smoke" ads and warning labels didn't work and wouldn't keep them away from the forbidden pleasure of smoking themselves to death. Probably both.

Personally, we drank too much Coke in high school because they hid the coffee machine in the teacher's lounge. Damning teenagers to high school without caffeine is cruel and unusual punishment, even if the alternative is to be fat with rotten teeth.

In our elementary school, however, soft drinks were not allowed and we didn't consider it much of a hardship at the time. On the other hand, death would surely have come to anyone attempting to pry the "Ecto Cooler" juice box from our tiny fingers.

Do you think soft drinks should be banned from schools?

The Global Dump Soda Campaign
(Photo:chickee510)

Corona-Norco struck the agreement in 1995, soon after fast-food chains began making their way into U.S. schools. The district had a similar agreement with Taco Bell, but that ended about eight years ago when the chain stopped allowing schools to make its food. "

The school district's 45 schools make and consume over 1,000 Pizza Hut pizzas a day, more than a week's output for some single stores. Many of the district's chefs remember when they used to " cook from scratch and bake fresh rolls and cookies. Today, they keep up a lighthearted chatter as they spread sauce and shake cheese on dough." —MEGHANN MARCO

District doubles as giant Pizza Hut [PR]

This is a list of the snacks recommended by the Yonkers public school "Snackwise Club." It divides food into "Good" and "Better" choices.

For example, a Good Humor Ice Cream Bar is a "good" choice. A "better" choice is a packet of Cheese Doodles.

Reader Mike says, "This has my blood boiling. [It's] low even by Yonkers standards."

Full scan of all the recommendations, inside...

Consider lobbying your school board to revamp the lunch menu (granted, getting this to succeed is very, very hard).

In the meantime, pack your kid's lunch with "better" choices, preferably ones items that were in the ground at some point. — BEN POPKEN

415 of the computers under his domain] need battery replacements. Apple said that to process his request he needs to "supply them with the serial number from each and every battery and iBook in spreadsheet form to make the swap."

This bothers him. He says, "I'll get right on that Apple, in the copious amounts of spare time that I have! I'm supposed to drop everything I'm doing and spend hours rectifying a screwup that I am the victim of. Bastards!"

While the magnitude be staggering, we're not sure what else Apple is supposed to do. Maybe Paul can get the school to offer students extra credit for helping you transcribe? We're surprised there isn't some nice, curvy Mac app that can "sense" which machines are affected and iNtuit the serial numbers into a multimedia mashup.

Schools are broke. Teachers work a thankless job, positioned to fail right from the get-go. If schools can make an extra $5k a year by putting advertisements on the busses, then more power to them. (And we hardly think a few more ads are going to make a dent in the kids' mental landscape, at this point.)

(As an aside, we are against putting fast food into schools, although we are also against most of the food that is served by cafeterias, so we're sort of break-even on that one.)

But we know that there has to be some really awful bits of advertising crammed down our school-goers' throats, and we'd like to know about them. A comment or email is fine, but pictures are even better.