These 4 charts explain federal fiscal 2023 K-12 spending

Though some of the Biden administration’s ambitious requests weren’t met, Congress still raised budgets across a number of programs.

By Naaz Modan • Jan. 13, 2023

Majority of districts report increase in meal debt since pandemic waiver’s end

A School Nutrition Association survey also finds a drop in average daily school meal participation since a policy providing free meals to all students expired.

By Anna Merod • Jan. 12, 2023

Just 24% of public schools feel ‘very prepared’ for active shooters

NCES data suggests a lack of confidence in school safety preparedness after a record year of school shootings.

By Naaz Modan • Jan. 12, 2023

Cyberattack forces Iowa’s largest school district to cancel classes

The scope of the cyber incident at Des Moines Public Schools is still unknown as the district works to recover its network.

By Anna Merod • Jan. 11, 2023

Seattle Public Schools sues social media companies amid youth mental health crisis

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok played a major role in harming students’ mental health, the district’s lawsuit claims.

By Anna Merod • Jan. 11, 2023

Meta calls for increased regulation of child safety online

The social media giant wants more coordinated action after its first-ever Youth Safety and Well-Being Summit.

By Andrew Hutchinson • Jan. 11, 2023

Panel: Trauma of preschool suspensions, expulsions is long-lasting

Teacher, family and student supports are needed to end exclusionary discipline of young children, speakers said in a Hunt Institute webinar.

By Kara Arundel • Jan. 10, 2023

Louisiana superintendent calls for removing TikTok from school devices

TikTok’s “lack of data privacy measures are extremely concerning,” said the state’s superintendent of education in a memo advising schools to ban the app.

By Anna Merod • Jan. 10, 2023

Virginia Foxx reclaims chair of House education committee

North Carolina Republican promises vigorous oversight of the federal government and stopping the Biden administration's regulatory agenda.

By Rick Seltzer , Kara Arundel • Jan. 10, 2023

States eye universal school meals ahead of legislative sessions

With little hope in an immediate federal pathway to secure free school meals for all, states are increasingly looking to institute their own policies.

By Anna Merod • Jan. 9, 2023

Obtaining Medicaid billing consent burdensome to staff, concerning to parents

Recent federal efforts to improve Medicaid school-based services and administrative processes have advocates hopeful.

By Kara Arundel • Jan. 5, 2023

8 K-12 trends to watch in 2023

Academic recovery, family engagement, cyberthreats and school security concerns are among challenges coming at school leaders from all sides.

By Roger Riddell , Naaz Modan , Kara Arundel , Anna Merod • Jan. 4, 2023

K-12 federal funding sees 5.6% increase for FY 2023

Title I — the largest of the K-12 federal funding programs — will receive a $850 million increase over FY 2022 for a total of $18.4 billion.

By Kara Arundel • Jan. 4, 2023

By The Numbers: How districts are spending ESSER funds

In states' FY 2021, district subgrants for spending or planned spending equaled just over half of all federal COVID-19 emergency funding for K-12.

By Kara Arundel • Jan. 4, 2023

North Carolina district goes back to serving alternative meals

In the wake of pandemic-era universal meals ending, Guilford County Schools has accrued $111,627 in student meal debt and aims to slow the growth.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 22, 2022

School shootings reach unprecedented high in 2022

There’s been an on-campus shooting ‘pretty much every single school day’ this fall, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database said.

By Naaz Modan , Kara Arundel • Dec. 21, 2022

Amid ‘tripledemic’ concerns, some schools revisit masking rules

Philadelphia schools are bringing back a temporary indoor mask requirement when students return to class in January.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 21, 2022

Title IX athlete case decided in favor of transgender students

A Connecticut school policy allowing transgender athletes to play on teams aligning with their gender identities could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

By Naaz Modan • Dec. 20, 2022

OCR probe leads to changes in restraint, seclusion practices in Virginia program

The Southeastern Cooperative Education Programs did not reevaluate students after multiple incidents of restraint, seclusion, OCR found.

By Kara Arundel • Dec. 20, 2022

More adults say parents shouldn’t have to vaccinate children for MMR

Though a majority of adults still support school vaccine requirements for measles, mumps and rubella, the percentage has declined since 2019.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 19, 2022

Democrats push gun control in school shooting hearing as Republicans cite religion, family failures

Both parties worried about a lack of bipartisan agreement over firearm violence in schools during a House hearing on Uvalde and other mass shootings.

By Naaz Modan • Dec. 16, 2022

Little Rock School District approves $250K payment in ransomware settlement

Federal agencies including the FBI discourage paying ransoms in such cyberattacks as there is no guarantee victims’ files will be recovered.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 16, 2022

With universal school meals gone, districts and families take on more debt

Some districts are looking to donors to alleviate meal debt funds before they have to rely on other school funds to pay off balances.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 16, 2022

FCC seeks public comment on its role in school cybersecurity

The agency is asking for feedback on how its E-rate program could expand to cover cybersecurity improvements, such as advanced firewalls.

By Anna Merod • Dec. 15, 2022

California considers mandating naloxone in schools to prevent opioid deaths

The proposal follows the state superintendent’s warning that fentanyl is the fastest growing cause of death for young people in the state.

By Kara Arundel • Dec. 13, 2022