School Leadership

The U.S. Justice Department warned on Sept. 8 that public schools must provide parents with avenues to opt their children out of instruction related to sexuality and gender ideology — or risk being put under the microscope by the federal agency. 

The memo, issued by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, directed Justice's Civil Rights Division "to be alert" to violations of parental rights at schools and for U.S. district attorneys nationwide to weed out and respond to "credible threats against parents." 

"While schools must maintain order, such authority cannot be used as a pretext to silence dissent or punish parents for expressing their views," Bondi wrote in her memo to all 93 U.S. attorneys and FBI Director Kash Patel. "Let me be clear: when school board members, administrators, and other government officials threaten law-abiding parents, they can and will be held accountable." 

Bondi cited a "rise in abusive conduct" by "government actors" against parents, noting that "conspiring" to violate constitutional rights is a federal crime. 

The letter referenced the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which justices found that Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools violated parents' rights when it didn't allow them to opt students out of LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum based on religious objections. The state's largest school district had originally allowed parents to exclude their children from the curriculum, but it backtracked after what it characterized as a high number of opt-out requests creating "unworkable burdens" for educators. 

Bondi's Sept. 8 memo pointed to “a disturbing trend" in recent years of state and local officials ignoring, dismissing and in some cases retaliating against parents who opposed curriculum decisions in public schools. 

When asked about instances of abusive conduct from government actors against parents, the Justice Department cited examples from its Sept. 8 event on religion in public schools hosted by the newly-formed Religious Liberty Commission. 

Some examples surfaced at that event include instances of students being asked to pray out of sight rather than publicly in front of other students, parents not being able to opt their children out of gender issues in curriculum, and administrators curbing students' religious speech or expression on clothing.Bondi's call to action against schools that don't make room for parental dissent and opt-outs stands in stark contrast to events that unfolded under the Biden administration, when school leaders reported feeling concerned in light of parents' threats and rowdy behavior at school board meetings. Those reports came at a time of increasing divides between parents and education leaders over controversial pandemic-related issues such as masking, vaccination requirements and distance learning. 

Those issues fueled the parental rights movement, which is also the impetus behind many recent waves of education legislation in the states, including LGBTQ+ restrictions. 

Around that time, in 2022, a report found that growing political conflict was harming efforts at respectful dialogue in schools and erecting barriers to addressing misinformation. The report,  based on a survey of nearly 700 high school principals, came from the Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access at the University of California Los Angeles and the Civic Engagement Research Group at the University of California Riverside.

School leaders surveyed reported harassment and demeaning rhetoric, which they said was interfering with K-12’s mission to encourage a diverse democracy.

More school districts are grappling with insolvency, exacerbated in districts that decided to spend pandemic federal aid on recurring expenses or didn't scale back their budgets in preparation for the aid's end, say education finance experts. 

As that aid dries up, other factors like enrollment declines are also constraining finances, they say.

As a result, districts are facing increased involvement from their counties and states, ranging from financial monitoring to takeovers. In rarer cases, districts may even announce bankruptcy or consider mergers with other districts.

The K-12 sector has faced a negative financial outlook since at least last year, according to multiple analyses by Moody's Ratings. 

At the time of its December 2024 report, Moody's said slowing revenue, rising costs and student enrollment pressures all contributed to the negative outlook.

"As hard as it is for districts going through this, it was completely foreseeable," said Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. "I think districts only have themselves to blame if they did not prepare for this eventuality." 

Since at least 2022, Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, has warned that districts will face financial shock beginning around the 2024-25 school year. Leading up to districts' increased insolvency today, Roza and others observed districts laying off staff, cutting programs like arts and music, and compromising summer enrichment programs in preparation for the budget roller coaster.

Districts that didn't — and still some of those that did — are now finding themselves in a bind, said Petrilli and Roza.

"They put all those federal relief funds into the system and then stopped them," Roza told K-12 Dive in July. "I mean, a lot of them had negotiated higher pay, hired a bunch of people, signed labor contracts for things they could not afford. And now the money is gone."

Tight budgets were expected to ease up around the 2025-26 school year. However, that hasn't been the case everywhere. 

In California, for example, more districts joined the shortlist of those facing insolvency, according to the state's Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, a state agency that monitors California districts’ finances to prevent insolvency. 

Districts in other states including Washington, Missouri and West Virginia are also in similar situations.

Sponsored content

By Discovery Education

Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement captures the perspectives of 1,398 K–12 superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students in the United States. Conducted by Hanover Research on behalf of Discovery Education in May 2025. 

Foreword, By Dr. Robert P. Taylor, Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System

As district leaders, we share a common goal: ensuring every student learns and remains motivated, challenged, and connected to their learning journey. Engagement sits at the heart of that mission.

This report sheds valuable light on the challenges of defining and nurturing engagement across classrooms. The findings confirm what many of us have witnessed firsthand: students want to learn. They crave lessons that feel meaningful and relevant. Yet too often, their engagement goes unrecognized when it doesn’t match traditional expectations. 

The insights in this report remind us that fueling engagement requires shared definitions, consistent tools and support, and opportunities for students to reflect on their learning. 

Engagement in Focus: Fueling Student Learning

Student engagement is hard to define, detect, and measure.

From students to superintendents, all stakeholders overwhelmingly recognize engagement as a key driver of success.

Researchers believe that student engagement can have as much influence on academic success as quality of instruction.1

Yet gaps in perception, experience, and support reveal there is still work to be done to make school consistently engaging.

By establishing shared definitions and frameworks that go beyond compliance and surface-level participation, educators can better assess whether students are genuinely invested in learning.

Engagement Challenges: Gaps Hinder Meaningful Learning

Barriers to engagement can be both visible and hidden.

Recognizing the many ways students engage can help teachers identify and nurture different expressions of learning.

While students self-report that they enjoy learning, feel confident in their abilities, and feel motivated to learn, many educators reported not observing these behaviors in class.

• 54% of students say they are focused and present in class 
• Only about a quarter of educators agree, with 78% reporting that students often zone out in class

Feeling overwhelmed is a top barrier for students, but not because they find school too difficult.

4/5 students believe that school is easy.

Most students report that school feels easy, while only 53% of teachers agree. This suggests students may find the material itself manageable but still feel overwhelmed by factors such as workload volume, pacing, or external pressures.

• Over 60% of teachers report that students often turn in incomplete work 
• Only 23% of students acknowledge doing so, which may reflect disengagement, cognitive overload, or competing priorities

Engagement Opportunities: Conditions Where Learning Thrives

Driving meaningful student engagement takes recognition, strategies, and support. All stakeholders agree on what drives engagement, and all agree that limited resources remain a barrier. 

Teachers play a critical role in shaping engagement and supporting them is key to fostering a thriving learning environment.

Leadership sees systems in place, yet teachers don’t feel it in practice.

Meaningful engagement requires bandwidth that many teachers don’t have.

Findings from this report show strong alignment among educators on what drives engagement: relevant, personalized, and active learning. Yet when asked what would most help them deliver those experiences, teachers overwhelmingly identified more time as their top need.

• 84% of teachers report that more time or resources to individualize instruction would be very impactful to improve student engagement 
• Only 22% of teachers report having enough time to reflect on and improve their teaching strategies

 

This challenge reflects broader national patterns. According to the RAND Corporation, teachers report working an average of 53 hours per week, with a significant share of that time spent on non-instructional tasks.2

AI holds promise for all groups, though teachers temper their enthusiasm with caution.

Two-thirds of students believe AI could help them learn faster, yet fewer than half of teachers report using AI themselves.

• 57% of teachers report frequently learning about positive ways students are using AI
• 87% of principals and 98% of superintendents report positive use cases

Teachers' more measured outlook likely reflects their frontline experience. Without clear guidance, professional development, and regular exposure to success stories, AI may feel like one more challenge rather than a helpful tool.

Engagement Fuels Learning

By listening to educators, students, and parents, we can build more consistent and actionable approaches to engage classrooms. Without clarity and support, we risk widening the engagement gap and limiting student success. But with the right tools and shared commitment, every student and teacher can thrive.

Download the full report to dive deeper into research-backed engagement opportunities.

References

1. Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

2. Wallace Foundation. (2021). How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research. The Wallace Foundation. https://wallacefoundation.org/report/how-principals-affect-students-and-schools-systematic-synthesis-twodecades-research

Indiana’s Eastern Hancock Schools prioritizes four promises in its strategic plan: joy, connection, growth and future success.

For Superintendent George Philhower, these pillars represent a commitment to creating an environment students and teachers want to be in every day, where everyone is seen, where growth is measured in meaningful ways alongside academics, and where proficiency is not the sole end goal.

“Our teachers have all the agency in terms of designing classroom experiences that move those four promises forward,” Philhower, who has led the nearly 1,200-student district for five years, told K-12 Dive. “So those four promises serve as our compass, but also as our filter for decision-making.”

We recently caught up with Philhower to learn more about how Eastern Hancock provides teacher autonomy and what kind of results the district has seen from those efforts thus far.

K-12 DIVE: What are some of the things that you do in Eastern Hancock schools to provide teacher agency?

GEORGE PHILHOWER: As our teachers are trying to make decisions in their classroom, if they're throwing things through the filter of joy, connection, growth and success, they have permission to do those things without having to ask. And if they cost money, we typically try to find ways — within reason — to make those things happen. We've done some work to define the learning outcomes we want our students to have, which helps us quantify a little bit better what success looks like in that growth promise. But within that, our teachers have the creative ability to pretty much open the door and do whatever they think needs to happen.

How have you seen that level of agency impact the outcomes in your school district, both in terms of teacher recruitment, retention and morale, and in terms of student engagement and outcomes?

PHILHOWER: Eastern Hancock has traditionally done very well on state assessments and those kinds of things. Teacher retention is pretty high.

It's a hard market in terms of finding teachers and retaining them even right now, which is why we think that the joy promise needs to be something we are very intentional about. But we continue to get a growing number of kids who come to us from neighboring districts. pPeople vote with their feet. It’s probably the biggest measure that we can take in terms of whether or not we're providing the type of education that kids deserve and families are looking for.

I think a lot of that has to do with the incredible teachers we have in our classrooms, who do awesome things for kids.

Are there any barriers or challenges you've experienced when it comes to providing that level of agency to teachers?

PHILHOWER: As a leader, you're always trying to walk the tight rope of support and high expectations and autonomy. I think that's the challenge of leadership — giving teachers enough flexibility and freedom to make sure they know that we trust them, but also not totally abandoning them so that they know that they're supported. And that's a tough tightrope to walk sometimes, so I'd say that's probably the biggest challenge.

I'm not 100% familiar with education policy on the state level in Indiana, but is it a state where experimentation and innovation are a little bit more encouraged in terms of the accountability side of things and what’s expected on that end?

PHILHOWER: In Indiana, we really want kids to get high marks in all the ways that they can be measured, but we also know that's not going to happen if we keep doing things the way that they've always been done.

In my mind, the best decision-makers for making those day-to-day decisions are the people who are closest to the work. So part of our job is to make sure our people feel supported and have the framework for decision-making, so they are equipped to make decisions because they're the ones closest to the work.

I know one of the barriers that comes up when innovation is discussed for a lot of districts is that they're always kind of walking that tightrope between trying new things and meeting accountability expectations, which can create the fear to experiment because of the potential consequences if it doesn’t work.

PHILHOWER: Along with empowering our teachers to have the flexibility to make decisions within their classroom, there comes some responsibility with that — in that we don't wait until the end of a really long experiment to see if something works.

Our teachers have the flexibility to make those decisions on a minute-by-minute, day-by-day basis as they're watching their kids and assessing them. I don't want anybody to think that anybody's running experiments that might not work. We don't have kids sitting in classrooms for a year and not learning because we tried something that might work.

But our teachers have the autonomy to be responsive and agile as they meet each kid's needs. From the outside in, it seems like a pretty simple job. But really causing learning in a classroom is really, really complicated, and every single kid learns in different ways.

We might be able to get good test scores by following a script, but we're not going to cause maximum learning by following a script.

When it comes to ensuring autonomy can be provided for teachers, are there any guardrails that you all put in place? For instance, in the case of new tech tools or learning models, ensuring tools and approaches are compliant with laws like FERPA [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act]?

PHILHOWER: We certainly have board policy that dictates some of those safety precautions with FERPA and those kinds of things, to make sure we're following all those guidelines. But in addition to that, we have key learning outcomes that are identified for every grade level and every single course. And we want to see student learning data relative to those things.

It’s not just, “Do whatever you want in your classroom.” It's, “You have the flexibility to do what you want to and to achieve these intended outcomes that we share.”

As schools open their doors to usher students and staff into a new school year, there is one familiar and constantly present item that is increasingly unwelcome: cellphones. 

As of July 28, 33 states had enacted laws or policies on cellphone usage in K-12 classrooms or schools, with 26 of those states banning or limiting cellphone use in classrooms, according to Ballotpedia. Many districts and schools also have their own restrictions.

Concerns about classroom distractions and social media's erosion on student mental well-being have contributed to the growth in restrictions. A Common Sense Media study from 2023 found 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds used their phones during the school day, with students spending a median time of 43 minutes on their phones. 

But setting a more restrictive cellphone policy is only one step in separating students from their devices. Actually teaching and enforcing the rules, as well as making any necessary adjustments and instructing students on healthy online habits, are other critical components of a successful policy, school and district leaders said.

Six school and district administrators share what they've learned as their schools have implemented such major changes.

Ogden High School, Utah

Before a statewide school cellphone ban in Utah took effect July 1, Ogden High School already had a no-phone policy during instructional hours for its 1,100 students. Principal Shauna Haney said that since the restrictions began last year, there's been a notable increase in student engagement and fewer classroom distractions. 

"The main challenge we've faced is that students are accustomed to having their phones, and it can be a difficult habit to break," said Haney in an email. "We are committed to helping them adapt, and we believe the long-term benefits to their learning outweigh the initial hurdles."

The policy requires phones to be stored away in backpacks during the school day. The first time a student violates the policy, a teacher will ask the student to put the phone in a classroom locker. A school administrator will then pick up the phone from the classroom, have a conference with the student and contact the parents. The student can pick up the phone at the end of the school day.

For the second offense, the same approach is taken, but a parent will need to pick up the phone at the end of the school day. The third offense follows the same steps as the second but adds a parent conference and the creation of a plan to support the student's compliance.  

Haney's advice to other school administrators implementing cellphone restrictions is to prioritize communication and consistency. Getting feedback from parents, staff and administrators is "crucial" when developing a policy, she said.

"This helps ensure everyone is on the same page and understands the purpose of the policy," Haney said. Also important is teaching and reinforcing the expectations with students and consistent enforcement of the policy, she said.

Ogden High School also provides digital literacy lessons to help students use technology responsibly. A key area of focus for school this academic year is helping students understand and responsibly use artificial intelligence. 

"We are in the early stages of exploring how to integrate AI education into our curriculum in a way that prepares students for the future while reinforcing ethical use," Haney said.  

DeWitt Clinton High School, New York

The 1,200-student DeWitt Clinton High School in the New York City school system has refined their student cellphone policy over the years to increase compliance and to streamline procedures. 

For example, a previous policy required the beginning-of-the-day collection and end-of-day distribution of cellphones that caused massive lines of students trying to reunite with their phones. The updated policy requires students to, at the start of the day, place their cellphones into a school-issued bubble wrap security pouch labeled with their last period class. 

The phones are collected, logged and stored in secure bins matched to each student’s schedule. Phones are delivered to students during their last class. To receive their phone back, students must attend all classes, especially their last period. If they don't attend their last class, they don't get their phones back. 

Staff members monitor the process throughout the day, and any attempt by a student to bypass the system results in disciplinary follow-up and parental engagement.

Principal Pierre Orbe said in an email that the policy adjustment of delivering phones to students during the last class eliminated the long lines of students retrieving their phones, increased last period attendance and restored instructional time.

The broader cellphone policy has contributed to fewer disciplinary actions and improved academic outcomes, Orbe said. The school used to log about 3 to 5 coordinated fights a day — often planned through cellphone communication — and now goes weeks without a single incident, said Orbe.

The graduation rate in 2015 was 46%. In 2024, it was 93%, surpassing New York’s average of 86%, according to state data.

Orbe advises school administrators to have a clear vision of expected outcomes and to not be fearful of implementing major cellphone policies. "There will be resistance at first — students and even staff may push back — but if you’re consistent, transparent, and results-driven, the school culture will shift."

Orbe also recommends aligning cellphone policies to academic goals, social-emotional learning and school safety. Students, he said, will "respect the structure if it’s part of a larger investment in their success."

To complement the progress the school has made in reducing student cellphone usage, DeWitt Clinton High School is launching a “Unit Zero” at the start of each term to teach foundational academic and tech literacy skills across content areas. 

This includes explicit instruction on discussion skills, group norms and literacy for classroom discourse to support students conditioned to isolate while scrolling. Also included in the lessons are reading on the pros and cons of technology use and guided instruction on AI-enhanced learning.

"We see AI as a new literacy frontier," Orbe said. "Our approach ensures students learn to use technology with purpose, not dependency."

District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, D.C.

A new, citywide cellphone ban began Monday — the first day of the school year — for students in District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, D.C. The new policy, announced last school year in June, prohibits students from using cellphones from the moment the first class bell rings in the morning until the dismissal bell in the afternoon.  

All middle schools and several high schools previously had a bell-to-bell prohibition on cellphones. Likewise, several other schools had their own cellphone restrictions. But for about 30 of the district's 117 schools, this will be a new approach. There are about 50,000 pre-K-12 students in the district. 

"I think it gives us the best opportunity to support students academically and socially without the distractions that phones can often bring," said DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee, who added he anticipates the cellphone ban will decrease bullying and inappropriate communication through text and social media.  

The new policy was crafted with input from focus groups the district held with students, parents, principals and teachers. For example, Ferebee said, school administrators know their school communities best, so the policy allows each school to decide whether students may store their cellphones in their backpacks or lockers during the school day or have a central storage area for students to leave their phones until the school day is over.

The policy also provides exceptions for students who are parents and for students who may need their phones because they have a disability, medical need or language barrier. Classroom teachers may also allow cellphone use for academic purposes.

"We gave the flexibility for school autonomy but also recognize the unique circumstances that students may have," Ferebee said.

The policy also requires schools to incorporate age-appropriate lessons on digital citizenship and safe online behaviors for students in grades K-12, which Ferebee said is an extension of related and on-going instruction on responsible digital usage.

The age-appropriate lessons on self-awareness and self-management of digital usage are
"designed so students have a balanced relationship with technology," Ferebee said.

McPherson Middle School, Kansas

After Kansas' McPherson Middle School implemented a no cellphone policy in 2022, there's been more student engagement in class, fewer discipline issues, less social media conflict and stronger face-to-face interactions, said Principal Inge Esping.

"The whole vibe is different," Esping said of the 470-student, 6-8 grade school.

The school's policy prohibits student use of all personal electronic devices, including cellphones, cameras, electronic games, wireless earbuds, smart watches or similar devices during the school day. These devices must be stowed away.

If a student violates the policy during school hours, the device will be confiscated by a staff member and turned into the office. With a first offense, the device is taken away, and the student receives a warning and must pick up their device after school. For a second offense, the parent must pick up the device from the office. Students violating the policy for a third time receive detention, and the parent must pick up the device from school.

Esping recommends that school leaders communicate the purpose of the cellphone policy, be consistent with the rules, and get staff buy-in. "Anticipate some pushback at first, but stay the course — students adapt quickly, and the benefits are worth it." 

Additionally, the school pairs restrictions with instruction by teaching digital citizenship, safe online practices and responsible use of technology in class to help students "learn how to use devices productively rather than constantly," Esping said.

Halls High School, Tennessee

When students in Tennessee's Knox County Schools returned to classrooms on Aug. 7 after the summer break, they had to comply with a new districtwide cellphone policy that prohibits the use of cellphones for the entire school day, with exceptions including accommodations for students with disabilities and emergency situations.

So far, the process has gone smoothly at Halls High School, said Executive Principal Spencer Long in an email. The 1,250 students at the school have been very compliant with the policy, said Long, adding that "it has been fun to watch students interact face-to-face in passing periods and in the lunchroom without the distraction of a device."

The new policy stems from a Tennessee law passed this year requiring all boards of education to adopt a policy defining appropriate use of cellphones at school. In response, Knox County Schools got feedback from principals and families to develop the policy, said Long, who was named the 2025 Tennessee Principal of Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Speaking on behalf of the Knox County Association of Secondary School Principals, Long said there was some concern that the new cellphone policy could cause friction between schools and students and families. But principals in Knox County are reporting a smooth transition, Long said. 

Additionally, Halls High School offers annual digital citizenship instruction at the beginning of each school year to teach students how to use their personal technology and access information on the internet safely and appropriately, Long said.

Cornell School District, Pennsylvania

This 600-student school system in western Pennsylvania allows students to carry cellphones in school. High school students can also use their phones to listen to music or check messages during downtime in class, as long as the teacher has given permission. 

The approach is working well for the small district, because it puts ownership on students to use cellphones responsibly and gives autonomy to teachers to make their own classroom policies, said Superintendent Aaron Thomas.

"I don't think it's realistic to say no kids can have them on their person, or they can't have them in their backpacks," Thomas said. "I mean, I think we're going to be constantly fighting these uphill battles of who has a device on them."

He adds that for students who don't put their phone away when asked, the school would call a student's parents and tell them the student can't bring the phone to school. In those cases, Thomas said, a school or district administrator will tell parents, "We're not doing this to be bad people. We're doing it because we want the same thing — we want what's best for your kid, and we want them to do as well as they can while they're here." 

"The parents are very receptive to that," he said.

One aspect of phone use that concerns Thomas is social media activity that is harmful to students' mental health, such as messages that paint a distorted view of reality. The district has a high school elective course on social media platforms that covers the positive aspects of these tools as well as their downsides.

"I think it's kind of our responsibility to educate the kids on that," Thomas said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In Maryland's Baltimore City Public Schools, educators are making home visits to determine families' barriers to school attendance.

In Virginia, a state-level task force is helping pediatricians and school nurses educate parents on the importance of school attendance and when to keep students home if they are truly too sick to attend school.

And several states are prioritizing attendance campaigns through accountability measures, additional funding, data-informed decision-making and elevated attention within governors' offices.

These are some of the school attendance approaches school system leaders shared during an Aug. 21 event focused on combating chronic absenteeism. The event was hosted by Attendance Works, EdTrust and American Enterprise Institute.

"If we don't have our students there, we will not see the outcomes that we're looking for," said Charlene Russell-Tucker, commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education.  

Nat Malkus, a senior fellow and deputy director of education policy studies at AEI, said that while data shows the national chronic absenteeism rate is improving, there's much more work to do to get school attendance back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

In 2024, the national chronic absenteeism rate was 23.5%. That's an improvement from a high of 28.5% in 2022, but still higher than the 13.4% recorded in 2017 and 15.2% in 2018, Malkus said. Chronic absenteeism is measured as missing 10% or more days in a school year — or about 18 days — for any reason. 

In 2022, "almost every district in the nation saw [chronic absenteeism] increases, most of them sizable," Malkus said. Although overall attendance improved in 2023 and 2024, the increases weren't as high as the education field had hoped, he said.

"This is a long-haul game" to get schools operating with consistent attendance "for our educational and economic future," Malkus said.

He commended 16 states and Washington, D.C., for committing to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years. At an event last year, the three organizations called on all states to make this commitment. 

"States and districts have made progress, and we should be happy for that," said Malkus, adding that improvements in attendance show "progress on this front is doable, and that the goals are achievable."

Trying different solutions

Stephen Dackin, director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, said that his state has committed to the 50% reduction in chronic absenteeism. Ohio hit a high of 30% in 2021-22 but is now down to 25.6%.

Dackin said what has helped improve attendance is the use of a multi-tiered system of supports that provides increased levels of interventions where needed and an integrated review of students' academic and behavioral data in developing interventions.

"That is a game-changer, if we do it well in Ohio," Dackin said.

Emily Anne Gullickson, superintendent of public instruction in Virginia, said the state had a peak chronic absenteeism rate of 20.1%, which a case study by Attendance Works shows occurred in 2021-22. As of spring 2024, the rate was 15.7%. More recent attendance data is expected to be released soon, Gullickson said.

A state-level task force launched the ALL (Attendance, Literacy and Learning) Initiative in September 2023. The state board of education incorporated chronic absenteeism into its accountability system and included it as part of a readiness indicator for elementary, middle and high schools, Gullickson said. Additionally, Virginia is studying model programs and looking at how to scale those practices.

In Connecticut, Russell-Tucker said the chronic absenteeism rate was at a high of 23%, which state data shows occurred in 2021-22. Now, it's at 17.2%. The state board of education set a goal of 6% by 2028.

To help better understand the problem and to implement solutions, the attendance data is collected at the state level monthly. That data is then disaggregated by student subgroups. That data helps the state work with the districts so they can intervene immediately, Russell-Tucker said. Additionally, the state has a line item in its budget addressing student attendance.

She called the need to improve school attendance an "all hands on deck" moment.

The state's Learner, Engagement and Attendance Program — or LEAP — supports home visits to strengthen school-family relationships and to reduce school attendance barriers for students, Russell-Tucker said.

Evaluation studies of LEAP show that six months after the first LEAP visit, student attendance rates improved by about 10 percentage points for students in K-8, and nearly 16 percentage points for students in grades 9-12, she said.

Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, also touted the benefits of strong relationships between schools and families. "It's a lot easier to have pointed conversations with a family when you are in a relationship," Santelises said. 

The district, which saw chronic absenteeism rates double from between 20% and 30% during the pandemic, has also targeted interventions to schools and student subgroups most in need of supports. 

Partnering with community organizations to reduce absenteeism has also been helpful: "You need a network of people" to support student and family engagement, Santelises said.

Family engagement and early public communication about school budgets are becoming especially crucial as schools navigate a fast-evolving federal funding policy landscape.

For instance, school districts nationwide recently had to reckon with a sudden, disruptive pause of more than $6 billion in federal grants that was lifted in late July. 

The U.S. Department of Education has also pushed for new priorities with federal discretionary grants, including more support for evidence-based literacy, school choice expansion, giving states more control over education dollars, and the advancement of artificial intelligence in schools. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is still working to shutter the Education Department.

Another potential federal change that districts should monitor is Congress' pending decision on its budget for fiscal year 2026, said Jim Larson, a partner at education nonprofit TNTP, during an Aug. 7 webinar about the changing K-12 federal funding landscape. Districts should also keep an eye on which states opt into the new federal private school choice tax credit program approved in the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” he said.

Federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid enacted in that same legislation could also have implications for school-based health services and school meal programs for students, Larson said. 

Other lingering budget questions for districts, he said, may include: How will the Education Department grant states flexibility from certain requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act? And to what extent will ESEA waivers impact how states get K-12 federal funds?

While school leaders continue to pivot their budget plans amid this political uncertainty and brace for what awaits them in the coming months, it’s important that districts remain committed to their students, staff and school communities, said Toni Williams, vice president of finance at TNTP during the Thursday webinar. 

But what does that look like in action? Two district leaders shared with attendees how they’re prioritizing their students, staff and broader community as they keep a close eye on potential federal funding changes. 

Communicating early, often

Detroit Public Schools Community District is already rolling out its budget development planning and forecasting for next school year, said Jeremy Vidito, the district’s chief financial officer. Normally that process would start in November or December, he said.

By informing the community about the district’s budget expectations earlier, Vidito said, it should hopefully give the public more time to weigh in and provide feedback. 

Because of the complicated pending changes with federal funding this year, it’s even more important that districts engage with their communities — especially when it’s likely the district will have to make budget cuts as a result, Vidito said. 

Districts should also regularly inform their staff about upcoming budget expectations and should not assume that staff understand every detail of the budgeting process, said Kyle Dare, superintendent of Rolla Public Schools in Missouri.

“Educate your people, but don’t sensationalize. Don’t make threats,” Dare said. “Just be honest and direct, and it’s OK if you don’t know [the] answers. I think our public needs to know this is the information we have.”

Community buy-in is key

Public education has faced “attacks” lately in many different ways, Dare said, but what gives him hope is that there are organizations, community members and local officials that want to help. 

School leaders should lean on those communities and partners that want to help advocate for the district, he added.

Rolla Public Schools recently launched a Citizens Academy to engage and educate local business leaders, with the ultimate goal being to spread the district’s messaging and curb any potential misinformation in the community. Regarding the budget, the district hopes to educate the public more about the decisions they’re making, why they’re “being pushed into those decisions” and the long-term ramifications, Dare said. 

Most of all, the budget process this year will require “bringing everybody to the table,” Dare said, adding that community buy-in is key.

The uncertainty with federal dollars is a reminder that remaining flexible and not overreacting to changes is crucial for districts, Dare said. “We’re going to have to pivot,” he said, “but we can do it.”

At minimum, Vidito said he expects the federal government to cut Title III funds, which benefit English language learners. He also foresees funding cuts to Title II for resources supporting teachers and school leaders, and potentially parts of Title I. 

“So I'm going to build a plan for a conservative budget so we can make sure that we are investing in those core areas,” said Vidito, adding that doing so would help avoid getting into a “last-minute” situation where the district needs the money but doesn’t have it. “If I’m wrong and we get the extra money, great. We add the services back.”

Additionally, Vidito said, districts need to communicate how any federal cuts to public education will impact students and could translate to larger class sizes, salary stagnation for teachers, school building closures or delays for facility maintenance projects.

“I think we do a disservice if we just say, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose $20 million. Everything will be OK,’” Vidito said. “We can’t do that.”