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USA
11th August 2026
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THE HOT STORY

White House orders overhaul of childhood vaccine recommendations

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for most children to receive fewer vaccines, encouraging parents to spread shots across more medical visits, and urging states to reduce school vaccination requirements. The order places vaccines into three categories based on recommended use, including putting COVID-19, flu, and hepatitis B vaccines into a “shared-decision making” category, and calls for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to be administered as separate shots. It also directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a vaccine task force to develop new recommendations on the timing and sequencing of childhood vaccinations within 90 days. Trump again suggested a link between vaccines and rising autism rates, although multiple large scientific studies and reviews have found no connection, while the American Academy of Pediatrics warned that the changes could create confusion and make it less likely that children receive full protection.

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FINANCE

Alaska Native education programs await $41.3m in delayed federal funding

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has pushed the U.S. Department of Education to expedite $41.3m in delayed Alaska Native Education Program grants for 26 recipients after funding expected on July 1 remained outstanding for more than a month. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has agreed to expedite the funding, which supports initiatives including Indigenous language revitalization, culturally relevant curricula, early childhood education, tutoring, workforce development, and college readiness, although the department has not specified when the money will be distributed or explained the delay.

Fine Arts students lead peers in Green Bay program review

Green Bay School District’s review of three academic programs found that students in its Fine Arts Institute pathway consistently outperformed non-participants, while results for International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) were more mixed. The reviews were initially commissioned as the district considered potential budget cuts, but immediate reductions are no longer under consideration after the district balanced its budget for the year. Fine Arts students performed better on the Forward exam in elementary school and the ACT in high school, and all participating high school students graduated. Participants also reported stronger feelings of belonging and greater excitement about their classes. The pathway, which serves roughly 270 elementary and 60 to 70 high school students annually, costs approximately $130,850 per year for lessons and supplies and has about three and a half dedicated full-time employees. IB students showed stronger results at the elementary and high school levels but weaker outcomes in middle school, while AVID participants had similar academic results to non-participants but a higher graduation rate of 94%, compared with 83%. Superintendent Michael Hernandez said the findings will begin a broader process of reviewing and refining the programs, rather than immediately determining whether they should be cut.

Illinois schools face widening $4 billion funding shortfall

Illinois school districts are falling further short of state funding targets, with 714 of 936 districts and organizational units moving further from adequate funding due largely to rising teacher salaries and benefits, as well as changes in how low-income students are counted. Chicago Public Schools’ adequacy level fell from 73% to 70%, while Elgin School District U-46 dropped from 76% to 70%, and Rockford School District 45 declined from 65% to 61%. Illinois has added $300m annually to its Evidence-Based Funding formula since 2018, totaling $2.5bn, but the system remains more than $4bn short of full funding as estimated costs have continued to rise. At the current pace, the state is not expected to reach full funding until after 2040. The revised calculations increased the share of students classified as low-income from 39.5% to 57.2%, adding approximately 300,000 students. CPS is expected to receive $1.94bn in state formula funding for 2026-27, including an additional $66m this year, while the district and Chicago Teachers Union are seeking another $150m from lawmakers to help reverse layoffs.

LEGAL

Federal judge rejects most of Minnesota’s transgender student lawsuit against Trump administration

A federal judge has largely dismissed Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, rejecting most of the state’s claims over federal efforts to restrict transgender students’ participation in women’s sports and access to facilities that align with their gender identity. Chief Judge Eric Tostrud ruled that Minnesota had not shown that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act or the 10th Amendment, in part because federal agencies have not yet taken final action that would impose legal consequences on the state. He also cited the Supreme Court’s June ruling that “sex” under Title IX refers to biological sex as providing some support for the administration’s interpretation. However, Tostrud allowed Minnesota’s Spending Clause claim to proceed, finding that the state could plausibly argue that conditions attached to approximately $2.9bn in federal funding were insufficiently clear when Minnesota agreed to accept the money. The ruling comes amid a broader legal dispute between Minnesota and the federal government. The Trump administration has separately sued the Minnesota Department of Education and the state’s high school sports authority, alleging that policies allowing transgender girls to participate on girls’ sports teams and use facilities matching their gender identity violate Title IX.

DISTRICTS

Des Moines Schools strengthens fundraising push with new philanthropic leader

Des Moines Public Schools and the Des Moines Public Schools Foundation have jointly hired Melanie Campbell to lead fundraising and strengthen relationships with donors, businesses, families, alumni, and community organizations. Campbell will serve as the district’s director of philanthropic engagement and the foundation’s executive director, with 70% of her $144,680.20 salary funded by the district and the remainder by the foundation. Campbell brings more than 25 years of fundraising and community outreach experience, most recently serving at Mercy College of Health Sciences, where she directed a $15m capital campaign. Her appointment comes as DMPS implements its five-year, $265m Reimagining Education, Reinvigorating Schools initiative, which aims to improve academic outcomes, retention, and classroom offerings through projects including new signature schools and expanded career programs.

Fort Worth Schools begins first full year of state intervention

Fort Worth ISD has begun its first full academic year under state intervention, with state-appointed Superintendent Peter Licata overseeing changes intended to strengthen classroom instruction across the district. The Texas district says it has filled its teacher vacancies after more than 1,000 teachers resigned last year, although it hired 142 uncertified teachers for the new school year. At 19 struggling campuses, the new Elevate Network is introducing a longer school year, additional teacher coaching, and more consistent instruction. The first day was disrupted by a lockdown at O.D. Wyatt High School after a student reportedly photographed themselves with a firearm on campus, leading to five people being detained.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Student well-being improves across North Carolina

North Carolina high school students reported broad improvements in safety, mental health, and risky behaviors in the state’s 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, with many measures returning to, or surpassing, pre-pandemic levels. Current alcohol use fell to 16% from 42.3% in 2005, marijuana use declined to 10.6% from 21.4%, and cigarette use dropped to a record-low 3.5%, while fewer students reported carrying weapons, fighting, or missing school because they felt unsafe. Mental health indicators also improved, with 29.7% of students reporting persistent sadness or hopelessness, down from 43.4% in 2021, and 11.4% seriously considering suicide, down from 22.3%. However, state officials said concerns remain around mental health, adverse childhood experiences, insufficient sleep, physical inactivity, and disparities affecting LGBTQ+ students and students with lower grades.

HEALTH & SAFETY

UTLA demands fire safety testing

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is calling for expanded environmental testing at Los Angeles USD (LASUD) schools near the Boyle Heights warehouse fire before students return on Wednesday. The union’s 14 demands include testing buildings, soil, water and air within three miles of the site, providing clean water and additional nurses, and relocating students if campuses are unsafe. The fire burned for more than a week and left almost 85m pounds of spoiled food requiring removal. UTLA President Gloria Martinez said school communities “deserve an actionable plan that puts their health and safety first.” LAUSD says it has refreshed air filters, enhanced cleaning and monitoring, and is working with health and environmental agencies to ensure campuses are safe. The dispute comes as regulators increase potential penalties against Lineage Logistics during the continuing cleanup.

CHARTERS

Charter schools retain appeal among Florida families as vouchers gain ground

Florida charter schools continue to attract families, with enrollment increasing by more than 50% over the past decade, even as vouchers emerge as the state’s fastest-growing education option. A statewide poll conducted by Republican-leaning National Victory found generally higher favorable than unfavorable views of charter schools, particularly among Black and Hispanic respondents, with supporters citing stricter discipline, academic focus, and greater flexibility. However, charter schools are also facing enrollment and financial pressures, with four Hillsborough County schools closing this summer, while advocates argue that state testing, annual school grades, and teacher certification requirements continue to distinguish charters from voucher-supported alternatives.

CYBERSECURITY

Ransomware attacks on U.S. schools drop 44% as higher education threats rise

Ransomware attacks against U.S. educational institutions fell 44% to 34 in the first half of 2026, compared with 61 in the second half of 2025, according to cybersecurity research firm Comparitech. Globally, K-12 attacks declined 26%, while attacks on higher education institutions increased by more than 8%. Despite the overall decline, the U.S. accounted for 33% of the 104 education-sector attacks recorded worldwide, and incidents continued to cause class cancellations, system outages, and data breaches. Comparitech cautioned that only 36 of the 104 global attacks were confirmed by the affected institutions, with the remaining 68 based on ransomware groups’ claims.

HIGHER EDUCATION

University of Michigan to replace first-semester grades with pass/no credit

The University of Michigan will replace letter grades with “pass or no credit” for first-semester freshmen in its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts beginning in fall 2027, as part of a pilot aimed at reducing academic pressure and supporting student mental health. Professors will still assign internal grades for purposes such as scholarships and academic awards, but those grades will not appear on transcripts or affect GPAs. The move follows similar policies at institutions including MIT and Caltech, and comes amid broader debates over student stress, college readiness, and grade inflation, with 74.1% of Michigan undergraduate grades in 2022 recorded as A+, A, or A-.

INTERNATIONAL

Australia sets two-day school response rule in A$10m anti-bullying push

The Australian Government has launched a A$10m ($7.06m) national anti-bullying initiative aimed at helping students, parents, teachers, and schools identify and respond to bullying. The Let’s Stop Bullying campaign includes A$5m for television and radio advertising emphasizing that bullying can often be invisible to adults and bystanders, alongside a new website providing free resources for school communities. The initiative follows the 2025 Anti-Bullying Rapid Review, which found that one in four students in Years 4 through 9 regularly experiences bullying, while more than half of young people have experienced online bullying. Reports of cyberbullying to the eSafety Commissioner increased by more than 455% between 2019 and 2024. The government is also introducing new requirements for all Australian government, independent, and Catholic schools. From the beginning of Term 1 in 2027, schools will have to publish policies aligned with the National Framework for Addressing Bullying in Australian Schools and respond to reported bullying incidents within two school days. Education Minister Jason Clare said the measures are intended to encourage earlier intervention and give students and families greater confidence that schools will act when bullying is reported. The federal initiative builds on state-level measures, including Queensland’s use of rapid support squads for schools experiencing escalating incidents.
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