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4th September 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Education Department releases 2023-24 school disparities data after eight-month delay

The U.S. Department of Education has released its 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection more than eight months later than initially planned, providing nationwide information on racial, ethnic, and disability-based disparities across virtually every federally funded school district, as well as charter, alternative, and juvenile justice schools. Unlike previous releases, the department quietly published only raw data files without an accompanying report highlighting major findings, trends, or comparisons with earlier years. The collection includes new measures covering preschool discipline, teacher absenteeism, and credit recovery, but the Trump administration withheld collected information on gender identity-based harassment and nonbinary students. The 2025-26 collection will also eliminate some gender identity and nonbinary reporting measures, prompting concerns among researchers that changing requirements could make it harder to consistently track disparities and student experiences over time. The department has confirmed that the congressionally authorized data collection will continue, with preparations for the 2027-28 and 2029-30 cycles already underway.

DIGITAL CURRICULUM

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FINANCE

Private schools could lose tax-exempt status over race-based admissions and aid

The Trump administration has proposed Treasury regulations that would threaten the tax-exempt status of private K-12 schools, colleges, and trade schools that use race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships, financial aid, athletics, or other programs. The rules, which the Treasury Department says would affect 18,000 educational institutions, would still allow schools to consider race-neutral factors such as family income, geography, individual hardship, academic achievement, and first-generation status, as well as religious affiliation. The administration has tied the proposal to the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative-action ruling and its broader campaign against DEI initiatives, while critics argue the regulations go beyond the court’s decision and could discourage schools from pursuing programs aimed at addressing discrimination. The rules would take effect after May 31 2027, and educators and advocates have 60 days to submit comments or request a public hearing.

Alabama education health plan seeks $1.5bn as costs rise

Alabama’s Public Education Employees Health Insurance Program (PEEHIP) plans to request about $222m in additional state funding for fiscal 2028 as rising health care costs put increasing pressure on its finances. The request would raise total state funding from $1.3bn to just over $1.5bn and increase the monthly employer contribution from $1,048 to $1,226 for each of roughly 104,000 active education employees. It marks the third consecutive year PEEHIP has sought a higher employer contribution. Lawmakers did not fully fund its requested increase for fiscal 2027, prompting the program to authorize up to $200m from its retiree health care trust to cover the gap. PEEHIP has also authorized withdrawals of up to $143.9m from the trust for fiscal 2026. State Finance Director Bill Poole warned that rising health care costs are coinciding with growing pressure on Alabama’s budgets and cautioned against continued reliance on the retiree trust. If lawmakers do not fully fund the fiscal 2028 request, PEEHIP could again draw from the trust or make changes to its health plan.

Alaska directs $115m oil windfall to public schools

Alaska’s K-12 public schools will receive an additional $115m in one-time state funding after higher oil prices linked to the U.S. war on Iran boosted state revenues. The funding is part of nearly $600m in additional oil revenue earmarked by lawmakers and will be distributed to districts through Alaska’s enrollment-based education funding formula. Anchorage is expected to receive $32m, Matanuska-Susitna $16.1m, Fairbanks $10.2m, and Kenai Peninsula $7.6m. The additional funding provides relief for districts struggling with rising operating costs, declining enrollment, staffing pressures, and persistent budget shortfalls. A record 12 elementary and middle schools closed across Alaska this year, although education officials said it is unclear whether receiving the additional money earlier would have prevented those closures. Lawmakers have also allocated roughly $144m in other one-time K-12 funding and $148m for school repairs and construction this year.

New California legislation seeks to get Proposition 28 arts funding into classrooms

California lawmakers have unanimously approved legislation designed to clarify how schools can use the state’s $1bn annual Proposition 28 arts education funding, after confusion over the rules prompted dozens of districts to return money rather than risk spending it incorrectly. AB 2440, which is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom, would more clearly define qualifying arts classes, allow schools to pool funds and share teachers and resources, and clarify how outside funding from nonprofits and booster groups should be treated. The legislation also requires local education agencies to certify that Proposition 28 has been implemented at each school site, addressing concerns that the new funding could be used to replace existing arts spending rather than expand programs. Supporters expect the changes to make schools more confident about accessing the money, although California continues to face a significant staffing challenge, with a recent study estimating a shortage of 5,000 arts teachers statewide.

Iowa City Schools secures $8m credit line

Iowa City Community School District has approved an $8m revolving loan from Hills Bank and Trust to provide short-term liquidity and ensure it can meet payroll ahead of quarterly state funding payments. The facility, which runs from September 11 through June 1, 2027, carries a 7% interest rate, but the district will only pay interest on funds it actually draws. Officials described the loan as a “security blanket” while the district works to stabilize its finances, reduce expenditures, and address cash-flow problems stemming from nearly three years of inadequate tracking of spending and revenue. The district has already cut $7.5m in spending this year, including 23 teaching positions, administrative and office roles, software costs, consulting contracts, and transportation expenses, and is considering boundary changes and possible school closures that could save another $7.83m for 2027-28. The district ended fiscal 2026 with an estimated $26.3m, about $5m better than expected, but still faces ongoing interfund loan obligations and further cost reductions in coming years.

DISTRICTS

Duluth student citations fall nearly 90% in five years

Student citations in Duluth Public Schools in Minnesota have fallen about 88% over five years, dropping from 115 citations and 128 charges in 2021-22 to 12 citations and 16 charges in 2025-26. The most common charges last year involved disorderly conduct and fifth-degree assault, while school resource officers also reported 388 successful de-escalations. The district, which spends about $342,780 annually on its school resource officer program, also reported increased positive interactions between officers, students, and teachers. While 98% of surveyed students described their interactions with officers as positive or neutral, some students of color and LGBTQ+ students said they did not always feel heard or supported during conflicts, an issue officials said they intend to address.

TECHNOLOGY

Chicago extends pandemic-era broadband program for low-income students

Chicago has extended its Chicago Connected program, providing free home broadband or hotspot services to more than 28,000 low-income Chicago Public Schools students at a cost of about $2m in city funding. Launched in response to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has served roughly 60,000 students over five years, although new families cannot currently enroll. Nearly one-third of qualifying families reported having no home internet before the program, while an earlier review found that 93% of participating students were economically disadvantaged, and nearly one-third were English language learners. City officials said some of the largest reductions in internet disconnection rates since the program began have occurred in communities on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

WORKFORCE

Higher teacher wages key to closing Massachusetts childcare gap, research finds

Massachusetts could improve the quality, availability, and affordability of early childhood education by raising educator pay, expanding financial assistance, and supporting new childcare capacity, according to Harvard Kennedy School professor Jeffrey Liebman. His research found that 89% of surveyed mothers with children under 5 would use formal childcare if it were free, compared with 53% of children ages 0-5 currently enrolled, suggesting that access rather than parental preference is driving much of the gap. Liebman argues that improving quality should come before significantly expanding capacity, with the median lead childcare teacher earning $25 an hour, or about $50,000 annually, and recommends a $6 hourly increase to help stabilize the workforce and bring annual median earnings in line with first-year kindergarten teachers. He also recommends subsidizing providers’ expansion costs and increasing assistance for low-income families, estimating that existing state childcare subsidies meet only about half of their needs.

SOCIAL & COMMUNITY

Project:Camp brings routine and relief to families displaced by Washington wildfires

Emergency childcare providers are helping children and families regain a sense of normalcy after wildfires devastated parts of Spokane, Washington, forcing 60,000 people to evacuate and destroying an estimated 920 structures. Spokane-area public schools quickly partnered with nonprofits, churches, and local businesses to provide free day camps, meals, donated essentials, and other assistance, while Project:Camp, a nonprofit specializing in post-disaster childcare, served hundreds of children at two locations over three weeks. The organization, which has operated 33 post-disaster camps in 10 states since 2021, uses structured activities, familiar routines, and community partnerships to help children restore feelings of safety and stability while giving parents time to manage recovery efforts. The approach reflects the growing importance of “education in emergencies” as climate change contributes to more destructive fires, floods, and storms, with experts emphasizing that predictable routines and supportive relationships can help young people process disasters. Local educators are now preparing for the longer-term emotional and practical needs of children affected by the fires as their communities begin rebuilding.

INTERNATIONAL

Toronto makes school food program available across all public schools

Toronto is expanding its school food program to every public school in the city, giving an additional 33,000 students access to meals when the new school year begins. Mayor Olivia Chow’s administration has increased annual funding for the initiative by more than 80% since her election three years ago, with a C$32m ($23.18m) investment now supporting meals for 325,000 students. The expansion comes as food costs remain elevated and one in 10 Toronto residents rely on food donations, while Chow’s two highest-profile election challengers, Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander, have both said they support continuing the program.
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