Policy & Legal: Page

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    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 • Jan. 5, 2023
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    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 , , , • Jan. 4, 2023
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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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    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 • Jan. 4, 2023
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    George Frey via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    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 • Jan. 4, 2023
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    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 • Dec. 22, 2022
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    Deep Dive

    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 , • Dec. 21, 2022
  • Masked school children wait to have their portraits taken during picture day at Rogers International School on September 23, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    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 • Dec. 21, 2022
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    Retrieved from American Civil Liberties Union on December 20, 2022
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    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 • Dec. 20, 2022
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    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 • Dec. 20, 2022
  • Josette Thomas, a school nurse, gives a child an immunization shot August 8, 2007 in Hialeah, Florida. The free immunization is part of the Miami-Dade County Health Department's program to help childr
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    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 • Dec. 19, 2022
  • Witnesses face House lawmakers during a hearing on the Uvalde mass shooting in a Congressional committee room.
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    Retrieved from U.S. House of Representatives.
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    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 • Dec. 16, 2022
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    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 • Dec. 16, 2022
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    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 • Dec. 16, 2022
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    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 • Dec. 15, 2022
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    Retrieved from DEA.
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    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 • Dec. 13, 2022
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    Mark Wilson via Getty Images
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    Will the FCC reevaluate E-rate’s role in school cybersecurity protections?

    In a letter to the agency, Rep. Doris Matsui said the FCC should revisit its “abilities and limitations” to combat cybersecurity threats in schools. 

    By • Dec. 13, 2022
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    Completion higher for alternative teacher prep programs affiliated with higher ed

    In 2019-20, 34% of enrollees completed university-based programs compared to 14% for programs not affiliated with colleges, a new analysis shows.

    By • Dec. 12, 2022
  • Supreme Court Allows Texas Six Week Abortion Ban To Stand
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    Oklahoma attorney general walks back predecessor’s religious charter approval

    Attorney General Gentner Drummond wrote that he feared the prior opinion would be used as a basis for taxpayer-funded religious schools.

    By • Updated Feb. 27, 2023
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    Ed Dept updates ESSER FAQ as spending reaches halfway mark

    The document provides more details on allowable expenditures but no additions on spending deadline extensions for the final two aid allocations.

    By • Dec. 9, 2022
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    Onlookers say politics ‘undermined’ Ed Department’s family engagement council

    After the National Parents and Families Engagement Council disbanded, some represented groups blame politics for its demise —but they’re not giving up.

    By • Dec. 8, 2022
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    OCR: California district had inappropriate oversight of restraint, seclusion of students at private schools

    Davis Joint Unified School District will change policies, procedures and training for the use of restraint and seclusion in response to the investigation.

    By • Dec. 8, 2022
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    What would expanded child tax credits mean for K-12?

    The American Rescue Plan’s expanded child tax credit expired in 2021, but year-end spending deal negotiations could revive the measure.

    By • Dec. 8, 2022
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    States failing to provide equitable funding for underserved students

    States and localities are underfunding districts with the most students of color, low-income students and English learners, The Education Trust finds.

    By • Dec. 8, 2022
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    Ed Department disbands National Parents and Families Engagement Council

    The council’s dissolution comes just months after a lawsuit filed by conservative groups alleged the effort lacked “balanced” perspectives.

    By • Dec. 6, 2022
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    Participation in USDA school meal programs drops, federal survey shows

    Schools cite challenges in convincing parents to submit applications for free and reduced-price meals, staffing shortages, and increased program costs. 

    By • Dec. 6, 2022