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Recent Editions
Education Slice
National
U.S. school districts are facing escalating healthcare expenses that are placing increasing pressure on budgets, staffing, and employee benefits, as medical inflation, rising prescription drug costs, and expensive treatments strain already limited resources. At the Association of School Business Officials International conference earlier this month, representatives from Ohio’s Big Walnut school district highlighted the financial impact of high-cost medical claims, with ten of its 336 insured employees generating claims exceeding $50,000 each this fiscal year. Meanwhile, Illinois’ West Aurora district spent $26m on medical expenses in 2026, more than 10% of its $215m operating budget, with costs projected to rise by another $5m next year. Districts are exploring alternative insurance plans, Health Savings Accounts, virtual healthcare, and prescription drug initiatives to control spending without undermining employee recruitment and retention. West Aurora estimates that changes to its GLP-1 drug coverage could save $750,000 to $1m annually. However, declining student enrollment, state-level funding constraints, and the growing availability of costly new treatments are expected to intensify financial pressures.
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Education Slice
California
California school districts are experiencing a sharp decline in newly arrived immigrant students, prompting program closures, staffing adjustments, and concerns about further enrollment-related funding losses. The decrease follows reduced border crossings since early 2025 amid changes in federal immigration policy. Oakland USD enrolled just 498 new immigrant students in 2025–26, compared with more than 1,300 annually in most previous years, and recorded only 212 new arrivals by October 7 this school year. The district has consequently reduced its middle and high school newcomer programs from 17 to six. Los Angeles USD has also experienced a substantial decline, with newcomer enrollment falling from 20,755 in 2024–25 to 11,103 in 2026–27. Statewide, the newcomer population decreased from 236,958 to 228,780 between 2024–25 and 2025–26. Education leaders warn that continued declines could further reduce school funding, weaken bilingual programs, and threaten specialized language support services that may be difficult to rebuild if enrollment rebounds.
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Education Slice
Texas
Governor Greg Abbott announced a $40m investment for 411 Texas school systems through the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships (PREP) Program Allotment. This funding aims to enhance teacher recruitment, preparation, and mentorship, thereby strengthening the state's educator workforce. "Texas educators shape future generations, and it is critical that they enter the classroom ready to succeed," said Abbott. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath emphasized that "strong teachers are the foundation of student success," highlighting the importance of this investment in building a robust educator pipeline. Established by House Bill 2, which provided a record $8.5bn in new public education funding, the PREP Program Allotment is part of Texas' commitment to improving public education and supporting teachers. For more details, visit the Texas Education Agency's PREP Allotment webpage.
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Education Slice
Florida
A Florida judge has recommended dismissing a misconduct case against Kelly Brock-Sanchez, an exceptional student education teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School, regarding her Facebook post celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In her ruling, Division of Administrative Hearings Judge Suzanne Van Wyk stated: “Though someone decided to more broadly disseminate the post, (Brock-Sanchez) did not make that decision.” The Department of Education argued that the post was made on a public page, but it was actually private, limiting access to her 300 friends. The post went viral after being shared, leading to overwhelming responses, including threats. Despite the disturbance caused at the school, the judge found that the allegations against Brock-Sanchez were unfounded. Similar cases involving other educators have also been recommended for dismissal.
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