More parents want to use public funds for private or religious schools

Support for public schools appears to be waning, but most adults don’t want the U.S. Department of Education to close, a PDK International poll found.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 19, 2025

Financial turmoil roils state universal school meal programs

Schools in Colorado and Michigan are entering the new academic year unsure of how long they’ll be able to continue serving free meals to all students.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 19, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage from 2025 so far as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

By K-12 Dive staff

How to protect students’ mental health during active shooter drills

Researchers suggest using trauma-informed practices and banning hyper-realistic simulations.

By Kara Arundel • Aug. 18, 2025

Week In Review: Enrollment dips, immigration enforcement weigh on schools

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from renewed mascot debates to court battles impacting schools.

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 18, 2025

3 risk factors making states vulnerable to federal funding cuts

The fiscal uncertainty is due to states' reliance on federal money and their proportions of high-need districts and students living in poverty, ERS says.

By Kara Arundel • Aug. 18, 2025

Federal judge halts Education Department’s anti-DEI measures

The ruling puts a stop to efforts to withhold federal funding from schools that maintained race-based programming.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 15, 2025

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

From a district considering school consolidations to the impacts of Trump’s immigration policies on students, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • Aug. 15, 2025

Federal judge stands by order requiring OCR be restored

The Trump administration is appealing Judge Myong Joun’s decision requiring the Office for Civil Rights to revert to “the status quo.”

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 14, 2025

Education Department proposes removing trans, nonbinary student categories from mandated data collection

The Civil Rights Data Collection is used to inform civil rights compliance and discrimination investigations.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 14, 2025

Austin ISD eyes school consolidations as enrollment keeps dropping

After losing over 10,000 students in the past decade, the district is evaluating buildings for capacity, cost and condition before proposing closures.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 14, 2025

LAUSD emphasizes virtual school, safe zones after student detention

Unidentified immigration agents handcuffed a student at gunpoint “in an alleged case of mistaken identity” just before the new school year begins.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 13, 2025

School district asks court to reel in EEOC charge it called a ‘fishing expedition’

The lawsuit alleged that then-Commissioner Andrea Lucas issued an “overly broad and vague” discrimination charge that exceeded the agency’s authority.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 13, 2025

Trump ICE policies create student trauma — but schools can help, researchers say

Recent enforcement policy changes are resulting in absenteeism, disengagement, and social isolation, according to psychiatric researchers.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 12, 2025

Communicate budget uncertainty early and often, district leaders advise

Two school district leaders shared how they’re navigating a fast-changing federal policy landscape in a recent TNTP webinar.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 12, 2025

7th Circuit revives Christian teacher’s religious accommodation claim

The teacher had asked to call all students by their last names rather than use transgender students’ chosen names.

By Laurel Kalser • Aug. 11, 2025

Racist if you do, racist if you don’t: The Native American mascot controversy

As districts grapple with state laws and policies meant to curb the imagery, the Trump administration is calling those measures discriminatory.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 11, 2025

Week In Review: Enrollment concerns weigh on districts and Houston makes progress

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from school choice in special education to Atlanta’s plans to address empty seats.

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 11, 2025

ICE apprehends parent during morning student drop-off hours

The incident in California’s Chula Vista Elementary School District adds to other known incidents of ICE activity during school pick-ups and drop-offs.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 8, 2025

UNITED ‘25: Principals explore solutions to pressing K-12 challenges

School principals gathered in Seattle in July to address a wide range of issues including chronic absenteeism and school safety.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 8, 2025

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

From mental health screenings at schools to the Education Department’s latest plans for special education, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • Aug. 8, 2025

Florida district won’t rehire teacher in LGBTQ+ controversy over student’s preferred name

The veteran teacher, whose license was in jeopardy, settled with the state for a $750 fine and a year of probation, among other consequences.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 7, 2025

Bellwether warns of school closures, consolidations ahead

The nonprofit's analysis suggests enrollment declines may have cost the nation's 100 largest districts $5.2 billion.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 7, 2025

Arkansas Ten Commandments law blocked in some schools by district court

The preliminary injunction halting a mandate to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom said the requirement is “plainly unconstitutional.”

By Anna Merod • Aug. 6, 2025

The post-COVID private school enrollment boom is slowing

Some 40% of private schools report increased enrollment between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, a Cato Institute survey found.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 5, 2025

Illinois 1st state to require universal mental health screenings at schools

Under SB 1560, Illinois school districts will receive free resources to implement the new initiative for students in grades 3-12.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 4, 2025