Pressure mounts for Ed Dept to release research funds

Nearly $300 million is unspent, according to letters to the Education Department. The agency says it will meet its statutory obligations for funding.

By Kara Arundel • May 22, 2026

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

From Miami-Dade County’s school consolidation proposal to another state’s federal waiver for K-12 funding requirements, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • May 22, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

By K-12 Dive staff

Surgeon general advisory urges caution on youth screen use

The advisory was accompanied by a toolkit calling for schools to “limit screen use by assigning work in books or on paper whenever possible.”

By Anna Merod • May 21, 2026

Ed Dept spending priority raises concerns with nod to Judeo-Christianity

The inclusion of "the founders' religious beliefs" in discretionary grant priorities comes amid a focus on "promoting patriotic education."

By Naaz Modan • May 21, 2026

War-fueled diesel prices send district budgets soaring

Nearly a third of districts said they’re transferring funds from other programs to cover extra fuel costs, a survey by AASA, ASBO and NAPT found.

By Anna Merod • May 20, 2026

How Maryland School for the Blind helps public schools close gaps

The Baltimore-based school’s programs and services stretch beyond its residential and day programs to reach students statewide.

By Roger Riddell • May 20, 2026

Miami-Dade County considers 9 school closures, consolidations

The Florida district saw a 4% decrease in enrollment between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years — driven largely by a decline in newcomer students.

By Anna Merod • May 19, 2026

Unpaid ADA leave was reasonable for guide dog training, 6th Circuit says

The appeals court determined the teacher could not point to any examples of nondisabled employees who were granted paid sick leave “even when the employee’s proposed absence did not qualify for that leave.”

By Emilie Shumway • May 19, 2026

Supreme Court to determine if school employees can sue under Title IX

The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in 2024 that Title IX's right to sue doesn't apply to college staff, diverging from similar rulings by at least eight other appeals courts.

By Naaz Modan • May 18, 2026

DOL rescinds Biden-era overtime rule, formalizing return to 2019 salary threshold

The salary threshold is only part of the exemption test, one attorney reminded HR leads.

By Caroline Colvin • May 18, 2026

Week In Review: IDEA gets additional funds

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the latest on Instructure’s data breach to changes at the U.S. Department of Education.

By Roger Riddell • May 18, 2026

We studied 93 cases of school- and district-level fraud. They all had these things in common.

K-12 fraud is almost always an inside job. But it only happens when three factors are present.

By Owen Leskovar • May 18, 2026

Achievement dip coincided with high-stakes testing ‘breakdown,’ study finds

The pandemic was the "the mudslide” in a decline that began in 2013, one researcher said. Another attributed the decline to technology.

By Naaz Modan • May 15, 2026

EEOC moves to axe EEO-5 reporting

The agency wants to scrap a variety of employer reporting requirements, according to a plan sent to the White House Thursday.

By Caroline Colvin • May 15, 2026

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

From funding announcements to cyberattacks, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Roger Riddell • May 15, 2026

Heading into the workforce, the youngest Gen Zers seem cautiously optimistic

Generation Z’s confidence at work has long wavered amid numerous societal shifts, previous research has shown.

By Caroline Colvin • May 15, 2026

FAFSA completion rate for class of 2026 highest on record

After the rocky rollout of a new form a little over two years ago, the simplified version is bearing fruit, according to the National College Attainment Network.

By Ben Unglesbee • May 15, 2026

Education Department shutters Office of English Language Acquisition

The office was the federal agency’s only arm dedicated to ensuring that English learners and immigrant students gained English proficiency.

By Naaz Modan • May 14, 2026

3 takeaways from McMahon hearing on Ed Dept priorities

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted reforms but faced criticism over inactivity in OCR and other agency changes.

By Kara Arundel • May 14, 2026

Is the push for tighter school security at odds with student well-being?

As limited resources push districts to harden security systems, schools should be mindful of potential harms, says a Learning Policy Institute researcher.

By Joe Burns • May 14, 2026

Ed Department to release $144M for special education, early intervention

The Wednesday announcement also included guidance to states on using IDEA funds to help expectant parents of children with disabilities.

By Kara Arundel • May 13, 2026

Feds propose rule to help employers expand fertility benefit coverage

The proposal addresses a key plank in President Donald Trump’s labor agenda and would exempt fertility benefits from the requirements of some federal health coverage laws.

By Ryan Golden • May 13, 2026

Canvas owner reaches ‘agreement’ with threat actors after data breach

Cybersecurity experts suggest that Instructure appears to have made a ransomware payment, which the FBI highly discourages.

By Anna Merod • May 12, 2026

Cellphone ban led to improved learning, attendance in Florida district

Suspension rates, however, spiked — particularly for Black students — in the first school year with limits in place, an Education Next paper says.

By Kara Arundel • May 12, 2026

Most districts now have 1:1 device programs. Pushback, finances could change that.

CoSN’s annual State of Ed Tech survey found 38% of ed tech leaders expect reduced funding to impact such initiatives.

By Anna Merod • May 12, 2026