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USA
31st July 2026
 

THE HOT STORY

Bipartisan Senate bill pushes back on Education Department restructuring

A U.S. Senate committee has advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at reversing key elements of the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the Department of Education, keeping oversight of K-12 education, special education, Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Office of Indian Education within the department. The bill represents the strongest congressional challenge yet to the administration's restructuring efforts, although it still requires approval from the full Senate and faces an uncertain path in the House. The legislation also requires the Department of Education to provide quarterly reports on the cost of implementing the agency transfers, following concerns that the administration has already spent $1 million relocating one office and requested an additional $9m for the transition. While the administration defended the changes as improving efficiency and delivering "measurable results," critics argued the reorganization weakens protections for students with disabilities and civil rights enforcement by shifting responsibilities to other federal agencies. 

SCHOOL CHOICE

Analysis suggests federal school choice program could reach nearly all K-12 students

A new analysis from the American Federation of Children has found that nearly 92% of U.S. K-12 students could qualify for scholarships under the Trump administration's new federal school choice tax credit program, although the number of students who ultimately receive awards will depend on state participation, taxpayer contributions, scholarship availability, and forthcoming federal regulations. The program, created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allows taxpayers to claim federal tax credits of up to $1,700 for donations to scholarship-granting organizations that can fund private school tuition, certain homeschooling expenses, and approved educational services for public and charter school students. The analysis highlights that 31 states have already opted in or indicated they will participate, while 19 states have yet to decide. Additional uncertainties include how many taxpayers claim the credit, how scholarship organizations distribute funds, and whether homeschooled students qualify in states that do not legally define homeschooling as a form of private or religious schooling. Congressional projections estimate the program will generate $500m in tax credits during its first year, rising to $4.4bn by 2034.

LEGAL

Father of Apalachee High School shooter receives 15-year prison sentence

Colin Gray, the father of the teenage gunman who killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in September 2024, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for negligently providing his son with the rifle used in the attack. The sentence follows his son, Colt Gray, receiving life without parole after pleading guilty to murder and other charges. Prosecutors argued that Colin Gray ignored repeated warning signs about his son's deteriorating mental health and fascination with mass shooters, despite giving him the firearm and leaving it accessible. The case is one of a small but growing number in which U.S. prosecutors have successfully held parents criminally liable for their role in enabling school shootings, following the convictions of the parents of the Oxford High School shooter in Michigan. 

FINANCE

Chicago schools adopt budget that depends on additional state aid

The Chicago Board of Education has approved a $9.96bn budget for the 2026-27 school year, adopting an amendment that assumes $150m in additional state funding to reverse planned school-level cuts and eliminate a midyear spending freeze. The budget, which passed by an 11-7 vote after a contentious debate, aims to help close a $730m deficit, although district officials warned that the anticipated state funding has not been approved and could leave the district vulnerable to deeper midyear cuts, credit downgrades, and higher borrowing costs if it does not materialize. Supporters, including Chicago Teachers Union-backed board members, argued the funding assumption would increase pressure on Illinois lawmakers to address what they describe as chronic underfunding of Chicago Public Schools, while opponents warned the strategy could worsen the district's financial position if Springfield fails to provide additional aid. The district also continues to face long-term financial challenges, including rising costs, significant debt, aging facilities, and the expiration of federal pandemic relief funding. 

LEADERSHIP

Schools expand teacher leadership models to improve student achievement

School districts across the United States are increasingly adopting strategic staffing models that place highly effective teachers in leadership roles, allowing them to coach colleagues while continuing to teach students. One of the fastest-growing approaches, Opportunity Culture, now operates in more than 1,150 schools across 18 states, with teacher leaders earning salary increases of about 20% in exchange for overseeing teams of educators and taking responsibility for larger groups of students. Supporters say the model improves instruction, raises student achievement, and helps retain experienced teachers without removing them from the classroom. In Carlsbad, New Mexico, where the approach has been implemented in nine of the district's 12 schools, officials report significant academic gains, including one elementary school's fourth-grade reading proficiency increasing from about 35% to 68%. Similar results have been reported in North Carolina, where participating schools have shown stronger student growth and lower teacher turnover than comparable districts. 

SAFETY AND SECURITY

New ICC code updates tighten safety requirements for gates at schools

The International Code Council (ICC) has approved four building code changes that strengthen safety and maintenance requirements for automated and manually operated gates at schools, commercial properties, parks, multifamily housing, and other public facilities. The updates incorporate recognized ASTM safety standards for sliding and swing gates into model building codes, while reinforcing inspection and maintenance requirements to improve consistency in the design, installation, and upkeep of gate systems. The code revisions were driven in part by longstanding safety concerns, including the death of seven-year-old Alex Quanbeck, who was killed when a gate fell on him at school, as well as dozens of other reported gate-related injuries and fatalities. The ICC said the changes are intended to help prevent future accidents by providing clearer guidance for property owners and facilities teams, with school districts encouraged to review perimeter security gates and maintenance procedures as part of their broader campus safety strategies. 

LEGISLATION

New Tennessee laws reshape teaching, technology use, and school security

Tennessee has implemented a series of new education laws for the 2026-27 academic year, introducing changes to classroom instruction, digital learning, student safety, and school security. Among the measures is the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act, which permits public school teachers and faculty at public colleges and universities to teach about the historical influence of Christianity when covering American history. Supporters say the law provides greater flexibility in teaching history, while critics have raised concerns about the separation of church and state. The new laws also require schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on online safety, responsible social media use, artificial intelligence-generated misinformation, and human trafficking prevention for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Additional measures require school districts to adopt policies limiting unnecessary screen time for younger students, allow schools to stock and administer emergency epinephrine for severe allergic reactions, and increase penalties for making threats of mass violence against schools, childcare facilities, preschools, or religious institutions by classifying such offenses as Class E felonies.

TECHNOLOGY

Education leaders call for closer collaboration between curriculum and IT teams

School districts are increasingly integrating curriculum and information technology teams to ensure education technology investments directly support teaching and improve student outcomes. Education leaders say districts achieve the greatest value when technology decisions are driven by instructional needs rather than by the latest products, with IT teams working alongside educators to implement tools such as AI, accessibility resources, and digital curricula that address specific classroom challenges. Technology and curriculum leaders also emphasized that collaboration should extend beyond procurement, with IT staff remaining closely connected to classrooms to evaluate whether technology is enhancing learning. Rather than focusing solely on screen time, they said districts should measure success by improved student engagement, accessibility, active learning, and educational outcomes, while building strong relationships between departments to support more effective and sustainable technology integration. 

ENROLLMENT

Declining enrollment drives wave of school closures across Texas

Texas public school districts are increasingly closing and consolidating campuses as falling enrollment, rising costs, and state accountability requirements strain budgets. More than 150 campuses have closed or been approved for closure in less than three years, with districts citing declining student numbers, inflation, and the need to improve academic performance. State data shows public school enrollment fell by approximately 76,000 students in the 2025-26 school year—the first non-pandemic decline on record—with experts warning enrollment could fall by another 100,000 students this year. The trend has been fueled by growing demand for charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, demographic changes, and the rollout of Texas' Education Freedom Accounts program. Financial pressures are expected to persist, with a survey by the Texas Association of School Business Officials finding that 44% of districts anticipated ending fiscal 2025-26 with budget shortfalls, while 80% expected to make either minor or significant spending cuts in the next budget cycle. Districts across the state are continuing to evaluate additional campus closures and other cost-saving measures as lawmakers consider future school funding reforms. 

GOVERNANCE

Missouri fills eight-year-old teacher advisory vacancy on education board

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has appointed former St. Louis Mayor Vince Schoemehl to the State Board of Education, filling the voting seat for the state's 1st Congressional District, while also naming Park Hill High School math teacher Michael McDonald to the board's long-vacant advisory position reserved for an active classroom teacher. The non-voting teacher seat had remained unfilled since it was created by lawmakers in 2018, despite repeated calls from educators and advocacy groups to appoint a classroom representative. The appointments come as the State Board of Education prepares to conduct a nationwide search for a new education commissioner following Karla Eslinger's retirement. Since taking office, Kehoe has appointed seven of the board's eight voting members, giving his administration significant influence over the state's education policy and modernization efforts. 

EARLY YEARS

Elementary students with phones show lower reading comprehension, study says

A new study has found that elementary school students who own a cell phone score lower on reading comprehension tests than peers who do not own one, regardless of whether the device is present during testing. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) tested 106 third- and sixth-grade students and found no difference in scores when phones were placed beside students during exams versus being put away, suggesting that phone ownership itself, rather than immediate access, is associated with weaker reading performance. The researchers said the findings indicate parents concerned about reading development may want to delay giving children their own phones during elementary school, although they cautioned that the study does not establish causation. The study also found that students from non-English-speaking households who began texting at an earlier age tended to have stronger reading comprehension by sixth grade than similar students who started texting later, highlighting a potential benefit of texting for English language development in those groups.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

Detroit explores redevelopment options for recently closed school buildings

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board has signaled it wants to explore alternatives to demolishing four recently closed schools, following community calls to sell or lease the properties instead of tearing them down. While no formal action was taken, several board members expressed support for seeking proposals from businesses and nonprofits to repurpose the buildings, arguing that redevelopment could generate revenue and return the sites to productive use more quickly than retaining vacant land. The four schools closed after the 2025-26 school year because of declining enrollment and high operating costs, with demolition estimated to cost nearly $5m. Board members said avoiding those costs could free up additional funding for classrooms, while district officials noted that Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School is the next campus scheduled to close and that 17 other schools remain under review for enrollment and operating costs, although no further closures are currently planned.

INTERNATIONAL

Indonesia's free meals program faces funding overhaul after court ruling

Indonesia's Constitutional Court has ruled that President Prabowo Subianto's free nutritious meals program can no longer be financed from the country's education budget, finding that the initiative does not qualify as an educational expense under the Constitution. The court said the change must take effect by 2028, while encouraging the government to separate the program's funding from education spending as early as the 2027 state budget. The ruling increases pressure on a program that has already faced budget cuts, corruption allegations, and public criticism over food poisoning incidents. The free meals budget has been reduced to around Rp229tn ($12.7bn) from an initial allocation of Rp335tn, while public approval has fallen to 33.8% from 62.5% in November 2025, according to an SMRC survey.
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