Districts express concerns over pending USDA updates to nutrition standards

School nutrition leaders and advocates are worried the anticipated school meal guidelines could add financial strain among other challenges.

By Anna Merod • March 13, 2026

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

From another federal effort to limit DEI to New Orleans’ public school enrollment shifts, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • March 13, 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

Fort Bend ISD will close 7 elementary schools

The decision, effective in the 2026-27 school year, comes as the Texas district faces a projected $56.4 million budget deficit driven by enrollment declines.

By Anna Merod • March 13, 2026

42 states allot smaller portion of funds to K-12 compared to 20 years ago, report says

Roughly 66% of students enrolled in chronically underfunded districts are disproportionately concentrated in just 10 states.

By Naaz Modan • March 12, 2026

What to know about ICE’s impact on schools

As schools contend with the effects of increased operations in their communities, we've gathered recent coverage to help you get up to speed.

By Naaz Modan • March 12, 2026

Virginia passes bill barring schools from teaching Jan. 6 as ‘peaceful protest’

Gov. Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign the legislation, which would require lessons to present the event as “an unprecedented, violent attack.”

By Naaz Modan • March 11, 2026

New Orleans’ public school enrollment is dropping and likely won’t stop

Enrollment concerns are being fueled by the city’s birthrate hitting its lowest point since Hurricane Katrina, according to a local nonprofit’s research.

By Anna Merod • March 11, 2026

Indiana public colleges must soon accept this alternative to the SAT and ACT

The state's public colleges will be required to accept the Classic Learning Test, a conservative darling, in their admissions beginning in July.

By Laura Spitalniak • March 10, 2026

GSA plan would ban DEI for all federal funding recipients — including schools

The General Services Administration proposal comes after a similar policy from the U.S. Department of Education was blocked in courts.

By Naaz Modan • March 10, 2026

Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act advances to full House vote

The measure included the Kids Online Safety Act, though House Democrats contended the bill would leave a “giant loophole” for Big Tech.

By Anna Merod • March 9, 2026

Superintendents have a message for ICE

Educators are mobilizing for the safety and funding of their districts, which they say are at risk, as lawmakers call for ICE reforms including at schools.

By Naaz Modan • March 9, 2026

Week In Review: McMahon marks first year in office

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from proposed ed tech limits to interagency agreements.

By Roger Riddell • March 9, 2026

Special education advocates warn against future program transfers

They worry that moving IDEA services out of the Education Department would diminish oversight for civil rights and accountability.

By Kara Arundel • March 6, 2026

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

From a U.S. Supreme Court decision to school closures in one of the nation’s largest districts, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Naaz Modan • March 6, 2026

Education Department urged to broaden ‘professional’ student definition

The agency’s proposed rule would limit graduate students in education from being able to borrow no more than $100,000 in federal student loans.

By Ben Unglesbee , Anna Merod • March 6, 2026

How should HR handle politics in the workplace?

When an employee’s political expression interferes with business operations, HR must know how to proceed, writes David Urban, senior counsel at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore.

By David Urban • March 5, 2026

GAO: Data is unreliable from COVID maintenance of equity provision

The analysis into how the provision for federal pandemic emergency aid was implemented in states and districts offers lessons for future grant oversight.

By Kara Arundel • March 5, 2026

Key federal education data collections under review in IES overhaul

An internal document recommended "six big shifts" for the Institute for Education Sciences, which was gutted by layoffs a year ago.

By Naaz Modan • March 4, 2026

Supreme Court deals blow to school policies protecting student LGBTQ+ identities

The lawsuit out of California was filed by teachers and parents who said such policies violate their First and 14th Amendment rights.

By Naaz Modan • March 3, 2026

McMahon: Education Department shutdown is still the goal

One year into the job, the education secretary is setting her sights on improving literacy and expanding school choice. 

By Kara Arundel • March 3, 2026

States weigh limits, outright bans on ed tech in schools

Momentum appears to be growing against any screen time in schools as states like Tennessee and Kansas propose prohibiting ed tech for grades K-5.

By Anna Merod • March 3, 2026

Education Department loses appeal on mental health grant cancellation

The decision kept a lower court’s injunction in place, meaning the agency has to make new decisions on discontinued grants. 

By Naaz Modan • March 2, 2026

Students feel safer in school when their concerns are heard, YouthTruth finds

Survey findings reveal gaps between staff and student safety perceptions and the need to include student voice in preparedness.

By Kara Arundel • March 2, 2026

Week In Review: The special education population is on the rise

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from new interagency agreements to the State of the Union.

By Roger Riddell • March 2, 2026

House hearing stresses that AI teacher training is a must

Lawmakers expressed bipartisan interest in a larger federal role in support for AI professional development during a recent subcommittee hearing.

By Anna Merod • Feb. 27, 2026