Policy & Legal

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    San Jose USD closes 5 elementary schools after 20% enrollment drop

    The California district reported it lost 6,000 students since the 2017-18 school year as birthrates decline and the Bay Area’s cost of living goes up.

    By • March 31, 2026
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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    DOL seeks to hike H-1B visa holder wage rates to curb ‘abuse’ of program

    While schools are unlikely to be affected by the proposed changes, AASA said it’s still concerned about the $100,000 H-1B fee imposed by President Donald Trump last year.

    By Ryan Golden , • March 31, 2026
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    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
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    Week In Review: School meal funds in the courts and new staffing data

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the Education Department’s latest interagency agreement to superintendents’ average tenure.

    By • March 30, 2026
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ESSER pandemic spending is over. What will its legacy be?

    Education finance experts say the effectiveness of relief funds is hard to measure — but schools would be worse off without the money.

    By • March 30, 2026
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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 pushback against an education-related Supreme Court ruling to new data on kindergarten redshirting, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • March 27, 2026
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on March 25, 2026
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    Interagency agreements now number 10. Here are the details.

    Supporters say the Education Department outsourcing reduces federal bureaucracy. Critics claim it adds confusion.

    By • March 26, 2026
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    What did teacher turnover look like during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    About 1 in 7 public school teachers changed schools or left the profession between 2020-21 and 2021-22, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

    By • March 26, 2026
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    DeKalb County prioritizes feedback on school closure, repurposing list

    Up to 28 schools could be closed, converted or repurposed, the Georgia district said as it seeks to balance enrollment across its buildings.

    By • March 26, 2026
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    Retrieved from Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board.
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    Oklahoma charter board faces second suit over Jewish school’s rejection

    Rejecting a religious group's bid to open a public school is unconstitutional, the organization’s lawsuit claims.

    By • March 25, 2026
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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Maryland sees return on investment in grow-your-own programs

    High school participants in the Teacher Academy of Maryland were 45% more likely to become teachers within 10 years, researchers found.

    By • March 25, 2026
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    21 states sue USDA over funding conditions they say would threaten school meal programs

    The lawsuit pushes back on new grant conditions that bar funds being used for programs that support “gender ideology” or “illegal immigration.”

    By • March 24, 2026
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    Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Judge scraps another school admissions policies lawsuit

    In the wake of SFFA v. Harvard, several challenges have claimed socioeconomic or experience factors are a proxy for race-based admissions.

    By • March 24, 2026
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    White House urges Congress to protect children on AI platforms

    The Trump administration released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence as lawmakers consider bills to improve online safety for youth.

    By • March 24, 2026
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    NWEA: Kindergarten redshirting brings short-term academic gains only

    The gains fall away by 3rd grade, and a delay in starting school can cost families an extra year of childcare, the firm's analysis says.

    By • March 24, 2026
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    The image by Michael Rivera is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Court doesn’t buy school district’s defense for not complying with race bias settlement

    Georgia’s Echols County School district argued “qualified immunity” meant it couldn’t be sued for refusing to implement changes.

    By Ryan Golden • March 23, 2026
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Education Department moves to shift student loan, FAFSA duties to Treasury

    The U.S. Department of Treasury plans to take “operational responsibility” for defaulted loans before eventually managing the entire $1.7 trillion portfolio. 

    By Natalie Schwartz • March 23, 2026
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    Week In Review: Outcomes-based ed tech contracts and K-12 policies in court

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from governors prioritizing special education to federal support for the science of reading.

    By • March 23, 2026
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    States say Education Department not following mental health grant orders

    The department is only providing grant recipients with six months of funding rather than a full year, the plaintiff states said in recent court documents.

    By • March 20, 2026
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    More middle and high schoolers are leaning on AI for homework

    At the same time, students fear that using the technology to help with assignments will hinder their critical thinking skills, a Rand Corp. survey found.

    By • March 20, 2026
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    Heather Diehl/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Republican reps eye SCOTUS ruling on undocumented children in schools

    Plyler v. Doe, which critics say burdens school resources, guarantees undocumented immigrants a free public education under the 14th Amendment.

    By • March 20, 2026
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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 ed tech negotiation strategies to Texas’ school choice lawsuits, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • March 20, 2026
  • Two adults and a children are seated at a table in a school library. In the background another adult is standing and smiling and looking at the people around the table.
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on March 19, 2026
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    OCR: District of Columbia discriminated against students with disabilities

    DCPS says it is committed to ensuring students with disabilities receive services guaranteed to them under federal law.

    By • March 19, 2026
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    Scott Olson/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Judge orders Texas to open school choice program to Islamic schools

    The ruling also extends the application window for families by two weeks, in a case brought by Muslim families who alleged discrimination.

    By • March 18, 2026
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Science of reading gets nod from House panel in literacy grants bill

    While lawmakers were united on advancing legislation supportive of phonics, another bill that would prohibit "sexually oriented materials" drew debate.

    By • March 18, 2026
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    Tomwang112 via Getty Images
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    Poverty, school size can hinder improvement odds, GAO reports

    The number of students at comprehensive support and improvement schools grew between 2019-20 and 2022-23, an analysis found.

    By • March 18, 2026