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USA
26th August 2026
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THE HOT STORY

USDA unveils new funding push to bring more freshly prepared meals to schools

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched its Harvest to Hallways initiative to increase the use of scratch cooking and locally sourced ingredients in school meals. The program includes an education and outreach campaign to encourage local food procurement, up to $25m in new Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants for fiscal 2026, and $50m for cafeteria infrastructure, including cold storage, stoves, food safety improvements, and support for School Breakfast Programs. The initiative also promotes the voluntary Pledge for Healthier School Meals, while the Department of Health and Human Services will invest $30m in research into practical, cost-effective ways to improve school meal nutrition. Separately, the USDA has announced additional National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants, allowing states to award funding to school districts for equipment costing more than $1,000. The measures come as the federal government pushes schools to increase access to whole foods and reduce reliance on ultra-processed products, while school nutrition operators continue to report widespread concerns about food, labor, and equipment costs.

STATE ASSESSMENTS

Why the Best State Assessment Scores Start Early

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OPERATIONS

NCES overhaul proposed as staffing losses disrupt critical school data

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) needs a major overhaul after severe staffing and budget cuts left the federal education data system increasingly unstable, according to a new framework from the American Statistical Association (ASA). Since 2025, NCES has lost $900m in funding, roughly three-quarters of its contracts and grants, and 97% of its staff and leadership, disrupting longstanding data collections and leaving some key education statistics years out of date. The ASA argues that simply restoring funding and staff would not address broader problems with outdated collections and slow reporting. Instead, it proposes that NCES take a more collaborative role in a national education data ecosystem, helping states, districts, federal agencies, and private organizations standardize, maintain, and safely use data. Reliable statistics are critical not only for tracking student outcomes and school conditions, but also for determining billions of dollars in federal funding, including Title I and career and technical education aid.

FINANCE

Cincinnati schools seek $66m-a-year levy as deficits loom

Cincinnati Public Schools is asking voters to approve a five-year, 7-mill property tax levy that would raise more than $66m annually as the district faces a widening budget shortfall. The levy would cost homeowners $245 per $100,000 of assessed property value, and district officials say that without additional revenue, CPS could post a $30.6m negative cash balance by 2029, potentially triggering state financial oversight. CPS has already cut central office positions, social workers, assistant principals, and counselors to balance its current budget. If the levy fails, officials say further measures could include reduced transportation, larger class sizes, school consolidation, cuts to arts and extracurricular programs, and pay-to-play fees. Treasurer Mike Gustin attributes the financial pressure partly to recent Ohio property tax reforms that have constrained school revenue growth, as well as changes to state education funding.

Connecticut school funding commission weighs equity against local control

Connecticut’s Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding is considering an overhaul of the state’s school finance system, with disagreements emerging over whether districts’ financial problems are driven mainly by inequitable state funding or local management. Georgetown University’s Marguerite Roza highlighted funding disparities, declining enrollment, rising costs, and uneven academic outcomes, while proposing measures such as minimum reserves, five-year budget forecasts, and state interventions for financially distressed districts. Several commission members and local officials pushed back, arguing that inadequate state funding and differing student needs can explain financial pressures without indicating poor management. The commission is now gathering public feedback as it prepares recommendations that could reshape Connecticut’s education funding system, with its final report due January 15.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Clark County schools’ access to Flock surveillance network raises privacy concerns

Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada, the nation’s fifth-largest school district, has gained access to Flock Safety’s network of license plate reader cameras operated by local agencies and businesses across Clark County and the Las Vegas area, although the district does not maintain Flock cameras on its own properties. Under a new policy, access is limited to CCSD Police’s Investigations Bureau, requires commander authorization and an assigned case number, and can be used for investigations involving felonies, firearms, narcotics, and child endangerment. Emails show CCSD and Flock discussed expanding the technology throughout 2025, including potential purchases of license plate readers, robotic cameras, and mobile security equipment. While Flock promotes its technology as a school safety tool, privacy advocates have raised concerns about surveillance of students and the ability to track vehicles off campus. CCSD said its new police chief is reviewing department procedures, including those involving Flock cameras.

WORKFORCE

Seattle school year faces possible delay as teachers prepare strike vote

Seattle teachers and school staff are likely to vote on authorizing a strike as negotiations with Seattle Public Schools continue just days before nearly 50,000 students are scheduled to return on September 2. The Seattle Education Association, which represents about 6,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, secretaries, and other employees, said 50 contract items remained unresolved as of Monday, including teacher pay, special education staffing, and class sizes. The union is seeking wage increases of 1%-3% for certificated staff and 3%-5% for classified employees, in addition to state-set cost-of-living adjustments, while the district is working to close a $100m deficit. Members will vote today on either approving a tentative contract or authorizing a strike, but negotiations can continue through the current contract’s August 31 expiration, meaning a strike could still be avoided if an agreement is reached.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Florida proposes dropping four vaccines from school enrollment requirements

Florida’s Department of Health has proposed allowing children to attend public and private schools, as well as daycare, without vaccinations against hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), and pneumococcal disease. The rule would also broaden vaccination exemptions to cover moral or ethical beliefs and allow parents and college students to object to their information being shared with the state vaccination database. The proposal is part of Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s broader effort to eliminate school vaccine mandates, although requirements for vaccines including polio, measles, and tetanus are set by state law and would require legislative action to change. The plan comes amid declining vaccination rates and rising measles cases: Florida’s measles vaccination rate is 88.9%, below the 95% level associated with community protection, and the state has reported 142 cases. The proposed rule is open for public comment through September 14.

Louisiana schools to introduce fitness testing from kindergarten

Louisiana public schools will adopt new K-12 physical education standards in the 2027-28 school year, including age-appropriate fitness assessments beginning in kindergarten and a greater emphasis on demonstrating physical skills and encouraging lifelong activity. Local school systems will have flexibility over how assessments are administered and whether results are shared with parents, while results will not be reported to the state, used in school accountability measures, or form the basis of student grades. The state will provide training and implementation resources during the 2026-27 school year, although no estimate has been provided for potential implementation costs.

TESTING

California lawmakers approve early math assessments to tackle achievement gaps

California lawmakers have approved Senate Bill 1067, which would require schools to assess the math knowledge and learning needs of all kindergarten through second-grade students annually beginning in the 2028-29 school year. The measure, now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision, would also require districts to provide additional support, such as teacher coaching or group tutoring, for students who are falling behind. Supporters say early intervention is needed as just 37% of California students were proficient in math on 2025 state tests, with rates falling to 26% among low-income students and 20% among Black students. Education groups have opposed the mandate, arguing that California should first invest more heavily in teacher training and student support. The state has allocated $100m to develop a statewide network of math trainers, while districts can also draw on existing recovery and block-grant funding.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

Des Moines-area schools launch major construction and expansion projects

School districts and private schools across the Des Moines metro are beginning the academic year alongside major construction projects aimed at expanding capacity, improving security, and upgrading learning and activity spaces. Projects include Ankeny’s $80m Innovation Hub, new and renovated facilities funded by large bond measures in Dallas Center-Grimes, Southeast Polk, and West Des Moines, and significant expansions at Des Moines Christian, Dowling Catholic, and St. Luke the Evangelist, with completion dates ranging from 2027 to 2030.

INTERNATIONAL

South Korea targets wearable technology in new anti-cheating rules

South Korea is preparing to revise national exam regulations after five candidates were caught using or wearing smart glasses during technical qualification exams in May and June. All five candidates were sanctioned for cheating, and three cases were referred to prosecutors. The Human Resources Development Service of Korea added smart glasses to its list of prohibited devices in May, but existing enforcement rules do not explicitly cover them. The Labor Ministry is now considering broader language that would allow authorities to restrict emerging electronic devices without updating regulations whenever new technology appears. The revision process is expected to begin around September and be completed by year-end. Administrators have installed radio-frequency and metal detectors at all domestic testing centers and plan to expand their use to overseas locations next year.

AND FINALLY......

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to carry her literacy mission forward

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is set to continue her decades-long campaign to improve childhood literacy following the country music star’s death at 80. Launched through the Dollywood Foundation in 1995 and inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, the program sends participating children a free book every month from birth until age five. It has distributed more than 330m books across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, with more than 3.6m families registered globally. The initiative began in Parton’s home county in Tennessee before expanding across the United States and internationally, operating through a shared funding model between the Dollywood Foundation and local partners. Its influence has also inspired other literacy programs, including Washington, D.C.’s Books From Birth initiative, which has distributed 4m books to roughly 100,000 children over 10 years. The Dollywood Foundation has pledged to continue Parton’s mission, with president Jeff Conyers saying she deliberately built programs capable of continuing their work beyond her lifetime.
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