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The Trump administration is withholding more than $2bn in congressionally approved education funding through the federal budget apportionment process, raising concerns about delays, disrupted grant competitions, and potential cuts to dozens of K-12 and higher education programs. According to publicly available budget documents reviewed by Education Week, the Office of Management and Budget has yet to release most or all fiscal 2026 funding for 35 Education Department grant programs, including support for teacher training, education research, community schools, magnet schools, arts education, and Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native education initiatives. Many of the affected programs are ones the Trump administration has repeatedly proposed eliminating or consolidating into broader state block grants. In some cases, only small portions of funding have been released for administrative expenses, while other programs still show zero allocated funding despite Congress approving the money in February. Advocates and grant recipients warned that prolonged delays could force organizations to pause programs, reduce services, or lay off staff if competitions for new grants are not launched soon. Some programs have begun accepting applications, offering limited reassurance, though uncertainty remains over whether funds will ultimately be distributed. The administration has argued that apportionment is necessary to ensure spending aligns with presidential priorities and federal law, while critics say the process is being used to sidestep Congress and effectively freeze legally approved spending. Legal experts noted that previous administrations routinely released education funding shortly after budgets were passed, making the current delays highly unusual.

 

Education Week News

What Educators Need to Know About Engagement in 2026

Student engagement and instructional rigor don’t have to be at odds. Engagement shapes how much students read, whether they complete texts, and how effectively they build knowledge and comprehension over time. Scholastic’s new white paper, Engagement Through Reading, draws on the latest research to make the case for engagement as a core instructional condition that drives academic outcomes. Learn how to apply the latest student engagement research in your school or district.

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The Florida Education Association has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Education, arguing the state has failed to provide the “uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high-quality” public school system required under Florida’s constitution. The lawsuit claims public schools are increasingly underfunded and overburdened, while charter schools and private schools benefiting from state-backed scholarship programs operate under fewer regulations. Plaintiffs pointed to Florida’s ranking near the bottom nationally for average teacher pay and alleged declining per-student funding as evidence that schools are being asked to “do more with less.” The suit challenges programs including the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program and Schools of Hope initiative, which allow charter operators to use unused public school space. Teachers, parents, and students said these policies have contributed to staffing shortages, reduced academic programs, overcrowding concerns, and strained school resources. State officials dismissed the lawsuit as politically motivated and defended Florida’s universal school choice policies, arguing families should be free to select the education environment that best fits their children’s needs.

 

The Boca Raton Tribune

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is addressing a nearly $46m deficit through a proposed budget that emphasizes reducing central office positions while increasing classroom staff. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius stated: "This is the biggest challenge the district and the Milwaukee Board of School Directors must face over the next three years, from a financial perspective." The budget proposal, released on May 4, aims to correct long-term financial shortfalls, with projections indicating a potential cumulative deficit of $420m over the next five years. The plan includes cutting approximately 260 non-classroom positions, including central office employees, while adding about 150 teaching positions and 140 paraprofessional roles. Despite these measures, MPS officials caution that "a future shortfall remains possible," emphasizing the need for decisive action to ensure sustainability and effective resource allocation.

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Missouri lawmakers have passed a roughly $50.7bn state budget that does not fully fund the K-12 public education foundation formula for the first time since 2017, leaving schools about $190m short of the required amount. The budget includes more than $4.2bn for the K-12 formula, over $376m for school transportation, restored funding for disability care programs, and about $51m in childcare subsidy dollars. Lawmakers also approved $60m for the state’s private school voucher program, $10m more than last year. Higher education funding will remain largely unchanged after lawmakers rejected a House proposal to shift funding based mostly on enrollment, which would have benefited some universities while cutting others sharply. However, the state will study a new formula-driven funding model for colleges and universities by December 1. The budget now goes to Gov. Mike Kehoe, who can issue line-item vetoes before signing it by July 1.

 

STL PR

The Philadelphia school district has approved a $3bn plan to close 17 schools and modernize nearly 170 others, though officials acknowledge there is currently no clear path to fully fund the project. The proposal would combine $1bn in district borrowing with an effort to secure $2bn from local, state, and federal governments, as well as philanthropic support, over the next decade. The plan comes as the district faces a $300m budget deficit and ongoing enrollment declines. District leaders say the initiative is designed to improve building conditions and academic opportunities by upgrading aging schools with improvements such as new HVAC systems, classroom renovations, accessibility upgrades, and roof repairs, rather than primarily cutting costs. Critics, including some school board members and City Council officials, have questioned whether the district can realistically raise the funding required, while others oppose closing schools as part of the plan. An alternative $1.85bn version that would take longer and deliver fewer upgrades remains a possible fallback option.

 

Chalkbeat

School districts across the U.S. are increasingly prioritizing cybersecurity, data privacy, and AI governance as generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in education, according to CoSN’s 2026 State of EdTech report. The report, based on responses from 607 K-12 leaders across 44 states, found that school systems are moving beyond early AI experimentation and focusing more heavily on risk management, policy development, and long-term operational oversight. Cybersecurity and privacy concerns have returned as the top priorities for education technology leaders after AI briefly overtook them in last year’s SETDA survey. About 75% of respondents said they were “very concerned” about AI-enabled cyberattacks, while 65% cited insufficient budgets as the biggest barrier to cybersecurity preparedness. Another 52% pointed to staffing and training shortages as major challenges. At the same time, AI adoption continues to expand rapidly. Nearly 88% of districts said they already have AI initiatives underway, and 79% reported having formal AI guidelines in place, up sharply from 57% in 2025. Confidence in AI’s educational value remains strong, with 96% of respondents saying the technology could positively benefit education through areas such as productivity, personalized learning, tutoring, and workforce readiness. The report also found districts are increasingly using procurement policies to manage AI risks, with 56% requiring vendors to provide product safety information before adoption. However, CoSN noted that fewer districts require broader quality measures such as accessibility, interoperability, evidence-based design, or usability standards.

 

Govenrment Technology

Several schools in the Alliance College-Ready charter network in Los Angeles have doubled teachers’ planning time during the school day as part of a pilot program designed to reduce burnout and improve retention. The revised schedules give teachers eight to 12 hours of weekly planning time without reducing student instructional hours. Schools achieved the change through revised timetables, co-teaching models, expanded dual-credit programs, and reduced supervision duties. Teachers said the additional time has significantly improved work-life balance, reduced the need to take work home, and allowed for more meaningful lesson planning and collaboration. The changes have also coincided with stronger student outcomes, including lower chronic absenteeism and gains in English and math performance. Teacher retention across Alliance schools improved from 87% in 2022-23 to 91% in 2024-25. The network now plans to expand the pilot program to 11 schools by the 2027-28 school year.

 

Education Week News

A large U.S. school district study found that district-wide renovations, upgraded HVAC systems, improved ventilation, and better cleaning practices were associated with fewer student absences caused by respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. The study tracked 45,428 students across 1,217 school days, covering seven school years and renovations at 45 schools. Researchers found that more than one-third of respiratory illness absences could potentially be reduced by keeping school facilities updated and meeting recommended ventilation standards. The findings also suggest that more frequent cleaning may help reduce gastrointestinal illness absences, while cooler classroom temperatures and higher absolute humidity could provide additional health benefits. Researchers said the results show that maintaining strong indoor environmental quality in schools can reduce infectious disease transmission and improve attendance.

 

Nature

Special education in Los Angeles County faces significant challenges, as highlighted by a recent survey from SpEducational, a parent-led advocacy organization. The survey, which included responses from 342 families, revealed that only 45% of children in special education feel safe at school, with 41% of families dissatisfied with the services provided. Lisa Mosko Barros, founder of SpEducational, said, "The data is sobering," reflecting long-standing issues families have faced. The survey also indicated that securing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is often a frustrating process, with many families lacking necessary information before meetings. Additionally, Spanish-speaking and low-income families reported feeling excluded from the planning process. The findings underscore the urgent need for districts to collaborate with families and gather data to better address student needs.

 

EdSource

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is grappling with growing school lunch debt as officials work to ensure students continue receiving meals despite rising food, labor, and operational costs. The district’s central kitchen in Rockville prepares more than 100,000 meals daily for over 200 schools, while some schools have reported unpaid meal balances reaching as high as $20,000. Under district policy, no student is denied a meal, even if their account has insufficient funds, allowing debt to accumulate as students continue receiving food. About 44% of MCPS students, more than 72,000 children, receive free meals, though officials say some eligible families remain unenrolled due to lack of awareness. The district continues to offer multilingual assistance and year-round applications to increase participation. District leaders say they are exploring fundraising and other financial strategies to offset growing debt while maintaining meal quality and culturally diverse menu options. MCPS also plans to raise meal prices by 30 cents next school year, marking the first increase in 12 years, citing higher costs for food, wages, and staffing.

 

Montgomery Community Media

School districts across New York’s Capital Region are gradually expanding their electric school bus fleets ahead of a state mandate requiring all new school bus purchases to be electric starting in 2027, though concerns over cost, reliability, and infrastructure remain. About half of the region’s districts have already purchased electric buses, with around 10 districts currently operating them and another 15 awaiting delivery of 65 additional vehicles, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. By 2035, all school buses in New York must be fully electric. While many drivers and students have responded positively to the quieter buses, some districts have faced operational issues. Bethlehem Central School District, an early adopter that purchased its first electric bus in 2022, said its 10 electric buses have averaged 66 days off the road this year because of reliability problems, recalls, and parts delays. The district plans to buy nine diesel buses this year before the state mandate takes effect. Electric buses currently cost about $200,000 more than diesel models, although state reimbursement programs and incentives are intended to offset much of the additional expense. Officials also said long-term maintenance costs are expected to be lower because electric buses have fewer mechanical components.

 

Times Union

The U.S. Justice Department has accused UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine of biased admissions practices favoring Black and Hispanic applicants. The department's findings suggest that "on average, admitted Black and Hispanic applicants had consistently lower academic qualifications than their white and Asian counterparts." UCLA stated it is "carefully reviewing" the report and maintains that its admissions process is merit-based. The investigation follows a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in admissions, despite UCLA's previous claims of compliance with state laws prohibiting race as a factor. This scrutiny comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle diversity policies in education, which the president has criticized as discriminatory against certain groups.

 

U.S. News

South Korea is reconsidering the role of Chinese characters, known as Hanja, in education as officials and teachers raise concerns about declining student literacy and growing difficulties understanding vocabulary derived from classical Chinese. The National Education Commission said it may review measures to strengthen Hanja education, including the possible addition of Chinese character annotations in textbooks. The proposal has revived a long-running and politically sensitive debate over how much Hanja should be taught in schools. Education officials said the discussions are part of broader efforts to improve reading, writing, and vocabulary skills, after surveys showed widespread concern among teachers about deteriorating literacy levels. A 2024 survey by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations found that 92% of teachers believed student literacy had declined, while two in 10 students reportedly struggled to understand textbooks without significant assistance. Supporters of stronger Hanja education argue that it is necessary because more than half of Korean vocabulary is derived from Chinese characters. Teachers and professors cited multiple examples of students misunderstanding common Sino-Korean words because they did not recognize the underlying meanings of the characters.

 

China Daily