The Latest

  • Arizona school facilities, Maricopa Superior Court, school facility repairs
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    K-12 facilities need $90B to close maintenance, capital investment shortfall

    Schools should be spending 7% of their budgets on facilities, but they’re not close to that, according to the 2025 State of Our Schools report.

  • Four high school students and a teacher are sitting and standing around a desk in a classroom. One student siting at the desk is using a laptop and mouse and others are looking at the screen
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    izusek via Getty Images
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    Positive school climate tied to better student attendance

    Chicago middle and high schoolers with fewer absences had higher test scores, the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research finds.

  • A view of Shanghai's skyline at dusk.
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    What can US schools learn about AI education from their Chinese counterparts?

    Schools in China are fast equipping students to work with the emerging tech, ILO Group CEO Julia Rafal-Baer said after a recent visit.

  • A teenage girl stands in front of her middle school class to present information.
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    How ‘open mic’ activities can improve writing, social skills

    Involving students in planning and fostering a supportive environment can encourage even the most reticent to participate, one expert says.

  • The exterior of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court to hear arguments in transgender student athlete cases

    Justices on Tuesday will weigh whether Title IX protects transgender athletes or bans them from participating on teams aligning with their gender identity.

  • Seven different icons for different artificial intelligence apps display side by side on a phone screen.
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    Character.AI, Google agree to mediate settlements in wrongful teen death lawsuits

    The lawsuits “are tragic reminders” that AI chatbots aren’t safe for minors seeking emotional support, says a media safety expert.

  • A police officer with a long gun is seen in the distance near the exterior of a red brick school building. In the foreground is an athletic scoreboard that says the school name.
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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    School shootings dropped in 2025. Here’s what to know for 2026.

    With school shootings reaching their lowest count in five years at 233, a school safety expert urges realistic prevention practices in the new year.

  • A student sits on the stairs inside alone. The student has one hand to their forehead and the other hand is holding a cellphone.
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    Jatuporn Tansirimas via Getty Images
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    Increasing rates of student loneliness present challenge for schools

    One researcher suggests stronger support for social-emotional learning is needed to address the issue for all students.

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    Week In Review: From Head Start to Texas teachers, K-12 hits the courtroom

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, including ESEA waivers and key trends to watch in 2026.

  • A yellow school bus is seen from the side with an open door and a handful of children walking up the steps into the bus.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Education Department data shows slight dip in public school enrollment

    While the numbers of public school students and schools are marginally down, the number of public charter school students is on the rise.

  • A Head Start teacher high-fives a student in a group of three students
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    John Moore/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Federal judge halts layoffs, anti-DEI measures at Head Start

    Mass cuts and prohibitions on diversity, equity and inclusion put the program in an “impossible situation,” District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez wrote.

  • Several students are sitting at desks in a classroom. A teacher who is standing is leaning down to help a student on a laptop.
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    Deep Dive

    6 trends to watch for K-12 in 2026

    Enrollment concerns, growing school choice competition, data privacy and new federal policy priorities are among a slew of challenges facing public schools.

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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

    From the release of updated dietary guidelines to another potential K-12 case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • A group of people in front of a building
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    DOL clarifies FMLA’s stance on travel time, school closure in opinion letters

    While the law protects time spent traveling to appointments, it doesn’t encompass stops for unrelated activities, the labor department noted.

  • Two adults are standing in a classroom. A student is seated at a desk looking up at one adult.
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on January 07, 2026
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    Iowa first state awarded ESEA waiver under Trump administration

    While some say the waiver will reduce federal red tape, others are concerned about lowered standards and less accountability.

  • Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West
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    Retrieved from Thomas More Society on January 06, 2026
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    Should schools reveal students’ LGBTQ+ identity to parents? Teachers to ask the Supreme Court to decide

    A legal battle in California could determine whether parental notification of student pronoun and name changes is constitutional.

  • Charlie Kirk stands behind a microphone with his hand raised in gesture
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    Rebecca Noble/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Texas Education Agency sued over probes into teachers’ Charlie Kirk posts

    Commissioner Mike Morath urged superintendents in September to report teachers who were critical of Kirk on social media, Texas AFT said.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands at a podium that has "The White House" written on it.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    New dietary guidelines: More protein, fewer ultra-processed foods

    School meals must eventually align with federal nutrition standards informed by the Trump administration's 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • Five students are sitting close together at a table. They have pens and markers in their hands and they are writing on a sheet of paper on the desk.
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    How to reacclimate students after winter break

    Taking time to reestablish routines — and perhaps forge new ones — can help educators engage learners as school resumes.

  • Close view of mature female educator standing between early electrical engineering students and offering guidance as they work on a project.
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    xavierarnau via Getty Images
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    Challenges persist for CTE programs, report finds

    Some 40% of programs struggle to find employer partnerships, and 66% of CTE leaders say students lack awareness of options, YouScience data shows.

  • An empty plate is in focus at a table. In the blurred background, an adult and child are sitting at the same table.
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    14M children lived in households with food insecurity in 2024

    The Trump administration announced last year that the USDA would no longer produce future “redundant, costly” reports on household food insecurity.

  • A person is seated at a table and they are looking to the side.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Lawsuits challenge $60M cancellation of community schools grants

    The complaints from the American Federation of Teachers and three state attorneys general cite the funds’ impact on rural and low-income communities.

  • A view from above of elementary school students sitting together at a large table eating lunch in a cafeteria.
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    Can schools handle federal calls for fewer ultra-processed foods?

    Some 95% of school nutrition directors are concerned about the financial sustainability of their meal programs, School Nutrition Association data shows.

  • A person walks in front of the exterior of the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Education.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    FEDERAL RIFS

    Government abandons RIFs impacting Education Department employees during shutdown

    Here’s a timeline tracing the Trump administration's efforts to slash the U.S. Education Department's workforce.

    Updated Jan. 5, 2026
  • U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary (L), National Institutes of Health Director Jayanta Bhattacharya (2nd-L), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (2nd-R) and Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley (R), signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on May 05, 2025 in Washington, DC
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    CDC, following Trump’s orders, weakens US stance on childhood vaccinations

    In a drastic decision made outside of its typical review process, the agency declared it would recommend 11 childhood shots going forward, down from 17.