Policy & Legal

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    IRS proposes rule for groundbreaking school choice program

    The controversial program is estimated to provide $26 billion in taxpayer contributions annually for education expenses for public and private school students.  

    By • Oct. 1, 2026
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    Cross-sector collaboration needed to address homeless student barriers, researchers say

    Trends in four states show consistency across the educational disparities homeless students face, per a series of reports from UCLA.

    By • Oct. 1, 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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    Education Department wants grantees to ‘defend the spend’

    Officials say written justifications will add accountability, but some administrator associations are concerned the additional layer will lead to funding delays.

    By • Oct. 1, 2026
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    How many states are embracing strategic teacher pay policies?

    State policies incentivizing teachers in hard-to-staff subjects and schools could help districts spend “smarter,” the National Council on Teacher Quality says.

    By • Oct. 1, 2026
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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Can 3-year degrees boost the teacher pipeline?

    Arizona State University is offering a shorter teacher pathway this fall with a goal of removing financial barriers for students aspiring to enter the profession.

    By • Sept. 30, 2026
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    Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AP

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    Federal anti-swatting guidance calls for better preparation by schools

    The Education and Justice departments pointed to trauma and lost instructional time caused by false threats to campuses.

    By • Sept. 29, 2026
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    Drew Angerer / Staff via Getty Images
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    Education Department takes 2024 Title IX rule off the books

    The move formalizes court decisions that had already blocked the Biden administration's anti-sex discrimination rule protecting LGBTQ+ students.

    By • Sept. 28, 2026
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    Chronic absenteeism calculation unreliable at federal level, GAO says

    The federal watchdog recommends better alignment of counts for enrolled and chronically absent students.

    By • Sept. 28, 2026
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    Week In Review: Are more closures and consolidations on the table?

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from schools’ facility woes to challenges facing meal programs.

    By • Sept. 28, 2026
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    Retrieved from United States District Court Western District of Oklahoma.
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    Federal court clears way for first religious public charter school

    The decision in favor of a Jewish organization's school follows years of setbacks in a similar case for a Catholic school.

    By • Sept. 25, 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 the vacating of an Education Department anti-DEI directive to potential school closures in 2026-27, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Sept. 25, 2026
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    Lack of federal funding hindering school meal programs, superintendents say

    Some 40% of leaders said they had to pull funding from elsewhere, including academic programming, to cover the cost of feeding students.

    By • Sept. 24, 2026
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    Retrieved from U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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    Facility problems led to 3.5M lost school days, GAO says

    Water intrusion, extreme temperatures, indoor air quality and structural problems forced schools to close the most in the 2024-25 school year. 

    By Robert Freedman • Sept. 24, 2026
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice.
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    How are Trump efforts to cut funding under Title IX holding up in court?

    The administration's approach to civil rights enforcement, which included Justice Department lawsuits, is hitting roadblocks a year later.

    By • Sept. 24, 2026
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    More school closure decisions likely ahead for the 2026-27 school year

    Large districts including Los Angeles Unified School District are facing enrollment and budget concerns as classes resume.

    By • Sept. 23, 2026
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Judge vacates anti-DEI directive that led to teacher training grant cuts

    A federal judge ruled the Education Department directive and its cancellation of hundreds of millions in funds for teacher training programs was unlawful.

    By • Sept. 21, 2026
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    Retrieved from Des Moines Public Schools.
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    Iowa’s largest district appoints new superintendent one year after former leader’s ICE arrest

    Matt Smith had served as interim superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools since September 2025, his second time doing so since 2022-23.

    By • Sept. 21, 2026
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    Week In Review: Rising Leaders and falling turnover

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from changes to a federal data collection to discussions at a Reagan Institute summit.

    By • Sept. 21, 2026
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    1 in 4 elementary school teachers say students use devices for main lessons

    Almost all elementary teachers say students use devices in the classroom, and two-thirds of teachers overall would support going paper-based instead.

    By • Sept. 21, 2026
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    Universal school meal reversals take toll on student behavior, focus, study finds

    The findings published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior come amid growing fears that new policy changes could further hinder access.

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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

    From academic gains to the latest development in a major K-12 lawsuit, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Sept. 18, 2026
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    K-8 reading scores see ‘sizable’ post-COVID gains in latest NWEA data

    After years of stalled progress, researchers see promise for schools' pandemic recovery, the assessment and research group said.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
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    Kate Tornone/K-12 Dive
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    What could the end of EEO-5 reporting mean for school districts?

    The Trump administration has said the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's employee demographic data collection may be discriminatory.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
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    A summer of AI bans in schools

    Public concerns are growing over artificial intelligence use in schools as districts call for more resources to successfully and safely implement the tech.

    By • Sept. 17, 2026
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Have teacher turnover rates declined since COVID?

    Amid an overall dip, turnover is higher in high-poverty schools and special education, a six-state analysis from Education Resource Strategies shows.

    By • Sept. 16, 2026