Policy & Legal


  • Supreme Court of the United States exterior
    Image attribution tooltip
    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on youth gender-affirming care

    Some 26 states have passed bans on gender-affirming care for children since 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

    By Susanna Vogel • June 18, 2025
  • Multi-ethnic friends graduating together, in cap and gown. Main focus on African American girl in middle, waving at camera.
    Image attribution tooltip
    kali9 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Majority of high schoolers say they don’t feel prepared for post-graduation

    In a survey, about half of students said they’ve never had a job or internship, and more than a third said they’ve never gone for a college visit.

    By Carolyn Crist • June 18, 2025
  • Rows of empty chairs and desks sit in front of a blank chalkboard in a school classroom. Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Attendance and Absenteeism

    Our latest K-12 Dive Trendline takes a closer look at chronic absenteeism’s impact on schools and where educators are seeing success with attendance.

    By K-12 Dive staff
  • Rows of chairs sit empty in an elementary school classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How immigration raids impacted school attendance in 5 California districts

    A Stanford analysis of schools in California’s Central Valley found a 22% rise in student absences it attributed to an increase in local immigration enforcement.

    By June 18, 2025
  • U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon stands in front of Senate Appropriations Committee's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee with papers in her hand
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Do states have ‘statutory right’ to data, guidance from Education Department?

    The agency is asking the Supreme Court to allow its reduction in force — even as its laid-off employees remain on administrative leave.

    By June 17, 2025
  • A teacher writes a formula on a chalkboard.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mlenny via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Teacher pension debt spurs ‘hidden’ cuts for schools, survey says

    Since 2001, pension costs have ballooned 220% while K-12 budgets have risen just 33%.

    By June 17, 2025
  • A women runner is in the center of the photo with their back to the camera. Other runners are seen in front of the person and everyone is running on an outside track.
    Image attribution tooltip
    brown54486 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why did the Energy Department issue a Title IX rule?

    The proposed athletics rule would rescind a prior requirement on coed sports tryouts — but only for schools receiving Energy Department grants.

    By June 16, 2025
  • A student is sitting outside a school building on a bench with their back toward the camera. A backpack sits next to the person on the bench.
    Image attribution tooltip
    FotoDuets via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    States balance supports and discipline to address troubling student behaviors

    A host of proposals and new laws aim to allow or ban corporal punishment, remove violent students from classrooms, and restrict preschool suspensions.

    By June 16, 2025
  • A person is standing at a podium with a microphone inside a large room. Behind the speaker are other people holding signs supporting public schools.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Debate intensifies over national school choice proposal

    Those denouncing the plan say it would harm public schools. Proponents contend it would help more students thrive through educational opportunities.

    By June 13, 2025
  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From California’s lawsuit against the Justice Department to new research on children’s well-being, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By June 13, 2025
  • Gregory Garre, latham and watkins, 2024 scotus term
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Unanimous SCOTUS ruling raises schools’ liability in disability cases

    The decision in favor of a student with epilepsy overturns a higher burden of proof for students and families in disability disputes.

    By Updated June 12, 2025
  • A yellow school bus is parked outside. A handful of students wearing rain jackets and  backpacks are getting on the bus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    FatCamera via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    For more consumers, back-to-school shopping starts now

    Many parents consider this year to be “financially challenging” or “stressful,” in part due to price hikes, according to a survey. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 12, 2025
  • A person stands before a microphone with three others standing behind holding signs that say "Our students deserve more, not less" and "Build up our schools, don't break them!"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Screenshot: Santa Ana Unified School District
    Image attribution tooltip

    Over 1,200 California K-12 staff laid off so far before the new school year

    The sweeping layoffs were reported by the California Teachers Association and come as districts statewide face budget challenges and declining enrollment.

    By June 12, 2025
  • A line of people wearing camouflage with large shields that say "California National Guard" face a crowd.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    California ed chief tells Trump: ‘Keep your hands off our kids’

    Incidents including a flash-bang grenade-induced lockdown and a 4th grader's removal to Texas have the state's schools on high alert.

    By June 11, 2025
  • Two rows of air conditioning condensers are pictured on the roof of a large building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    alacatr via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Former school district facilities chief directed $2M in HVAC work to shell company, DA alleges

    The former Lawrence Union Free School District facilities director resigned after reportedly steering money to himself with the help of an accomplice.

    By Robert Freedman • June 11, 2025
  • A box of cell phones sits in front of a student completing an assignment at their desk in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Dobrila Vignjevic via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    House lawmakers find consensus on benefits of school cellphone bans

    State and district policies have led to lower student discipline rates, better teacher retention and more effective instructional time, witnesses told a subcommittee.

    By June 10, 2025
  • Tony Thurmond California Department of Education
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    California sues Justice Department over threats on transgender sports policy

    The federal agency warned some school districts last week that they faced "legal liability" if they followed California law.

    By June 10, 2025
  • A student in a graduation cap and gown has their face to the camera and is hugging another person. Other graduates can be seen out of focus in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    BY THE NUMBERS

    Children’s well-being shows both progress and setbacks, Kids Count finds

    The annual Annie E. Casey Foundation report found higher graduation rates and lower childhood poverty. However, more teens are not in school or working.

    By June 9, 2025
  • A close-up of mid-sections of people sitting in a row with cellphones in their hands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Virginia enacts ban on school cellphone use, limits on social media

    In Florida, a similar, stricter law banning social media use for children under 14 years old hit a roadblock in district court.

    By June 6, 2025
  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From the Education Department’s latest budget proposal to a visa appointment pause’s impact on K-12, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By June 6, 2025
  • 3 takeaways from OCR nominee’s Senate confirmation hearing

    Kimberly Richey, who served as acting head of the Office for Civil Rights in the first Trump administration, addressed questions on higher caseloads, Title IX and more.

    By June 5, 2025
  • The camera shows the exterior of an off-white stone building with the working "U.S. Department of Education" on the side of the building
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump administration appeals pause on Education Department cuts to SCOTUS

    The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that efforts to reduce the agency's workforce must stop while the dispute works its way through the courts.

    By Updated June 6, 2025
  • A teacher stands in front of a classroom white board with the number "103" written. A row of young elementary school students sit and listen in front of the teacher.
    Image attribution tooltip
    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How can states improve math prep for teachers?

    Alabama was the only state to earn a “strong” rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its strategy to improve math instruction.

    By June 5, 2025
  • A federal document that says "VISA United States Of America" above a J1 type/class distinction.
    Image attribution tooltip
    miroslav110 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump pause on visa appointments worries districts relying on foreign teachers

    Though the disruption is expected to be temporary, one rural leader fears it will delay her new hires from arriving in the U.S. in time for the new school year.

    By June 4, 2025
  • A row of desks sit empty in a classroom with the desk in the forefront having a notebook and pencil sitting on top.
    Image attribution tooltip
    diane39 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Every state except one publishes chronic absentee data online

    Still, only 17 states break that data down by grade, making it difficult to detect when chronic absenteeism is elevated in a particular age group.

    By June 4, 2025
  • Two people are standing in a room and shaking hands. Other people are seated in rows of seats behind them.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Literacy is McMahon’s top priority. Senators ask, where’s the money?

    The education secretary also answered questions about FY26 proposals for mental health, civil rights, college access and where this year's spending stands.

    By Updated June 6, 2025