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USA
12th August 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Special education complaints rise 46% across 31 states

Written state complaints involving special education increased 46% across 31 state education agencies, rising from 7,907 in the 2024-25 school year to 11,523 in 2025-26, according to a survey by the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. The organizations said continued underfunding of special education, personnel shortages, and declining confidence in the federal Office for Civil Rights may be contributing to the increase, as families increasingly turn to state-level complaint processes. The federal civil rights office has reduced its workforce and closed seven of its 12 regional offices, including its California office, limiting capacity to investigate discrimination complaints. A Government Accountability Office report found that the office received more than 9,000 complaints between March and September 2025 and resolved 7,072 during that period, primarily by dismissing 90% of them.

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FINANCE

Education Department revives research funding

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences is restarting competitive education research grantmaking after more than 15 months of delays and cancellations, with roughly $250m in fiscal 2027 funding planned across three waves. The new approach will concentrate grants in areas including STEM, literacy, low-incidence disabilities, and workforce transitions, while organizing researchers into hubs designed to create more coordinated bodies of evidence. However, significant funding uncertainty remains: as of June 30, IES still had access to roughly $223m in fiscal 2025 funds that could expire after September 30, while more than $450m in fiscal 2026 funding had yet to be released by the White House Office of Management and Budget. Researchers have welcomed the resumption of grants, but questions remain about whether IES, which lost 161 employees early in the second Trump administration, has sufficient capacity to administer the new programs and prevent previously appropriated funding from lapsing.

Memphis schools secure approval for $1.7bn budget

The Shelby County Commission has voted 7-4 to approve Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ $1.7bn budget for the 2026-27 school year, more than a month after the July 1 deadline and after students had already returned to classrooms. The final budget includes bonuses for teachers filling high-need positions, approximately $200m for building repairs, and an amendment redirecting $11.9m to deferred maintenance rather than a proposed new Treadwell K-8 School. The delay came amid disagreements over the budget approval process and uncertainty surrounding a state-appointed oversight board, which a federal judge temporarily blocked from taking control of district operations in June.

Extra school funding renews debate over Pennsylvania’s education formulas

Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 budget provides a combined $8m in supplemental funding to four financially strained school districts, on top of allocations through the state’s standard education funding formulas. Muhlenberg will receive $2.5m, Steelton-Highspire $1m, Morrisville Borough $3.5m, and Whitehall-Coplay $1m, with districts facing challenges including budget deficits, growing enrollment, shrinking tax bases, and potential staff cuts. All four are represented by Democrats in the state House, continuing a three-year pattern of supplemental funding going exclusively to districts represented by Democrats, although lawmakers and education advocates said differences in local needs, demographics, and disagreements over Pennsylvania’s funding formulas may explain the divide. The allocations have renewed debate over whether the state’s formulas adequately respond to unusual financial pressures, with some advocates proposing a dedicated funding pool for districts facing exceptional circumstances.

POLICY

Texas weighs tougher penalties as teacher-student misconduct allegations triple

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed requiring educators convicted of inappropriate relationships with students to serve at least 10 years in prison without parole and register as sex offenders, arguing that stronger penalties are needed to protect students. More than 1,700 allegations involving inappropriate romantic or sexual relationships or communications between teachers and students were reported in Texas schools in 2026, three times the previous year’s total, although nearly 400 investigations were closed after preliminary review, and the number resulting in convictions is unclear. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has backed the proposal, indicating that it will be a priority when lawmakers convene next year. Existing state law already requires convicted teachers to forfeit their teaching credentials and taxpayer pensions, while administrators who fail to report misconduct can face fines of up to $10,000 or jail time.

Are cellphone bans effective?

Since France implemented the first comprehensive student cellphone ban in 2018, 106 countries and 39 U.S. states have followed suit. However, experts like Sonia Livingstone, a professor at the London School of Economics, argue that "the jury is out" on the effectiveness of these bans. While some studies indicate improved academic performance and reduced bullying among students without phones, others show no significant changes. The push for bans reflects growing concerns about technology's impact on youth, as highlighted by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's call for stricter regulations. Despite the bans, students often find ways to circumvent them, raising questions about their practicality and effectiveness. In Norway, a study found that cellphone restrictions positively impacted grades, particularly for girls, suggesting that while bans may help, their overall effectiveness remains uncertain.

DISTRICTS

Chicago schools race to reverse layoffs before classes resume

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is working to reverse some layoffs after its school board allocated $100m of an additional $150m in anticipated state funding to restore positions, but district officials warn the money has not been guaranteed and will not be enough to bring back every employee before classes begin August 24. CPS previously laid off 760 teachers, 800 school-based support staff, and 160 central office employees as part of efforts to close a $732m deficit, and officials are now asking principals which positions are most critical and contacting laid-off workers about returning. The Chicago Teachers Union has questioned the district’s assessment that $100m is insufficient and is pressing state lawmakers for additional funding. CPS leaders have warned that relying on unapproved state money could result in midyear cuts, credit downgrades, and higher borrowing costs, while the district is currently considered 70% adequately funded under Illinois’ Evidence-Based Funding formula.

STUDENTS

West Virginia discipline data highlights disproportionate impact on vulnerable students

West Virginia school discipline data remained largely consistent during the 2025-26 school year, but students facing significant challenges outside the classroom continued to be disproportionately represented, according to the state Department of Education. About 80% of homeless students were cited for disciplinary issues, while 75% of the 474 students expelled from public schools were classified as having low socioeconomic status. The state recorded 2,753 disruptive conduct incidents under a 2023 law allowing teachers to remove disruptive students from class, while a 2025 law covering kindergarten through sixth grade resulted in 447 incidents and 255 student referrals. The Department of Education has also funded 10 elementary alternative education pilot programs as part of efforts to implement the newer discipline requirements, which include behavioral assessments and plans for affected students.

CYBERSECURITY

Schools strengthen cybersecurity strategies amid growing AI and data risks

U.S. schools are increasingly moving from reactive cybersecurity measures toward longer-term resilience strategies as ransomware attacks begin to stabilize, although threats remain significant. Confirmed ransomware attacks on U.S. educational institutions declined 9% from 2024 to 2025, while average ransom amounts fell 33%, according to Comparitech, giving IT teams more scope to focus on proactive planning. Schools such as Cityscape Schools in Dallas are adopting structured cybersecurity frameworks, using resources from the Center for Internet Security, and emphasizing executive support, staff training, and data governance. With AI creating new risks around sensitive information, Cityscape has introduced live AI awareness training for employees, while schools are also being urged to regularly review cyber insurance requirements and use state and national cybersecurity resources.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

Smarter kitchens and college-style dining reshape the traditional school cafeteria

Modernizing school cafeterias can improve the student experience while making food preparation more efficient, expanding menu choices, and reducing waste, according to Design Collaborative architect Molly Schultz. Wayne High School’s recent cafeteria and kitchen renovation illustrates the approach, combining a more college-style dining environment with upgraded equipment and a redesigned serving system intended to give students greater choice and reduce time spent waiting in line. Behind the scenes, the Fort Wayne, Indiana school introduced multifunction RATIONAL ovens capable of steaming, roasting, air frying, and baking, along with iVario skillets that provide precise cooking controls. An IRINOX blast chiller can function as a refrigerator, freezer, or holding unit, while additional storage allows staff to prepare food further in advance and make better use of unused ingredients. Schultz argues that combining thoughtful design, modern food-service technology, efficient operations, and greater student choice can turn cafeterias into more welcoming spaces while supporting nutrition, staff productivity, and environmental goals.

HIGHER EDUCATION

DOJ sues New York over in-state tuition benefits for undocumented students

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued New York to block undocumented students from receiving in-state college tuition and state financial aid, arguing that the policies violate federal law and discriminate against U.S. citizens from other states who pay higher tuition rates. The action follows similar lawsuits against Connecticut and Vermont and is part of a broader federal challenge to state tuition benefits for undocumented students, with the DOJ citing a 1996 federal law that restricts states from providing residency-based higher education benefits to undocumented immigrants unless the same benefits are available to U.S. citizens regardless of residency. New York’s 2019 DREAM Act provides eligible undocumented students access to state-administered grants and scholarships, while the DOJ’s legal campaign is supported by two executive orders issued by President Trump in 2025 directing federal agencies to challenge such state benefits.

INTERNATIONAL

Afghanistan’s education ban has excluded 2.4m girls from school

An estimated 2.4m Afghan girls have been barred from secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to UNESCO, making Afghanistan the only country where girls and women are formally prohibited from secondary and higher education. Secondary schools were closed to girls in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities that December, with both restrictions remaining in place despite initially being described as temporary. UNESCO estimates the education bans could push 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066, result in $9.6bn in cumulative income losses, increase the risk of early marriage, and contribute to a shortage of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030. The restrictions are adding to broader strains on Afghanistan’s education system, where more than 2m primary-age children are already out of school for other reasons, more than 90% of 10-year-olds cannot read a simple text, and nearly half of schools lack water, sanitation, or heating.

South African education leaders call for Mathematical Literacy to be scrapped

Former South African Education Minister Naledi Pandor has called for the country to rethink Mathematical Literacy, arguing that the subject has encouraged students to abandon core mathematics and reduced overall participation in the subject. Pandor said Mathematical Literacy should instead provide basic numerical skills to all students, while alternative levels of mathematics could accommodate students with different abilities. Her position aligns with former mathematics education professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who has argued that Mathematical Literacy offers limited value for university admission and creates incentives for schools to move struggling students away from mathematics to improve overall performance.
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