Most-clicked story of the week:
A $17 billion settlement between Meta and 52 states and territories, announced Aug. 26, was heralded as one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in U.S. history by several state attorneys general. The agreement to end the states' social media lawsuit is set to bring significant changes to how Meta, the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram, approaches youth access and mental health protections on its platforms.
On top of the payout, Meta plans to take several steps that include giving parents stronger app controls and increasing protections for users under 18 years old, including muting app notifications during school hours.
The maximum number of elementary and middle schools Portland Public Schools in Oregon is considering closing in a bid to “rightsize” due to enrollment declines. The district’s data shows enrollment fell by 6,086 students since the 2018-19 school year, and it is projected to further decrease by 3,446 students in the 2031-32 school year. The district may close up to 15 elementary schools and three middle schools, although the district is continuing to draft a formal recommendation.
Nation’s largest districts target AI
- New York City announced on Sept. 2 a one-year moratorium on student-facing artificial intelligence tools for public school students in early childhood programs through 8th grade. The temporary AI ban, in effect for the 2026-27 school year, will impact 600,000 students — or two-thirds of enrollment in New York City Public Schools, the nation’s largest school system.
- Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest school system, also confirmed on Sept. 2 that it is restricting all student access to generative AI platforms during the 2026-27 school year. The district previously allowed the use of approved generative AI tools by students who were 13 years or older, had completed required digital citizenship instruction, and had reviewed the district’s responsible use policy, an LAUSD spokesperson told K-12 Dive.
- Recent survey data from The Century Foundation found that the vast majority of Americans across the political spectrum want clear government regulations on the use of AI and other new technology in K-12 schools. Additionally, 86% of respondents were “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the impact of social media, 84% about private companies collecting and profiting from student data, and 81% about students using cellphones in class.
K-12 policy in the spotlight
- A number of school districts are altering their LGBTQ+ policies amid ongoing pressure from the Trump administration. The shift is happening particularly as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and Student Privacy Policy Office have routinely launched probes into school system policies under privacy and other laws. The investigations have pushed the districts in question — which include Kansas’ Topeka Public Schools — to share “gender support plans” and other LGBTQ+-related materials or information with parents or to curb such materials entirely.
- A bipartisan House bill introduced on Sept. 2 aims to halt the transfer of four U.S. Department of Education offices to other federal agencies. The offices in question include those overseeing special education, postsecondary education, Native American education, and elementary and secondary education. Introduced by Reps. John Mannion, D-N.Y., Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who said in a joint Sept. 3 statement that the offices are being transferred to agencies lacking “the staff, experience, and expertise needed to administer them.”
