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USA
22nd September 2026
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THE HOT STORY

High school teacher academies boost entry into teaching, but racial gaps persist

High school teacher academies can strengthen local educator pipelines, but a Texas study found that gaps in college enrollment and completion limit their ability to diversify the teaching workforce. Researchers tracked more than 1.5m students, including nearly 70,000 who completed at least one high school education course, and found participants were four times as likely as their peers to become teachers, although fewer than one in 10 ultimately entered the profession. White participants were more than twice as likely to become teachers as Black or Hispanic participants, at 13.3%, compared with 4.9% and 5.5%, respectively, while nearly 70% of Black and Hispanic participants never enrolled in four-year public colleges. Researchers recommend stronger links with higher education, financial support, earlier classroom experience, and incentives to return to local districts. Teachers who had taken high school education courses also showed stronger retention, with fewer than one in five leaving within three years, compared with more than 30% of other teachers.

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FINANCE

Schools ask voters for bigger bond packages as approval rates slip

Voters will decide on 373 school district bond measures this November, representing nearly $53bn in proposed borrowing for construction, facility upgrades, safety improvements, and other capital projects. Districts are asking for larger sums than before the COVID-19 pandemic, partly because of higher construction costs and a shift toward larger, more comprehensive projects, while voter approval rates have fallen from 82% in 2018 to 75% in 2024. Safety and security spending has become increasingly common, with the number of bond measures proposing such investments roughly doubling between 2018 and 2024, and secure entrance projects rising sharply. However, smaller and lower-wealth districts can face greater difficulty using bonds because borrowing capacity depends heavily on local property values, making major capital projects harder to finance without state or federal support.

How severe financial problems can cost California school boards their governing authority

California school districts facing severe financial difficulties can lose local control if they require emergency state loans, with the level of intervention depending on the size of the loan relative to recommended reserves. Districts unable to meet financial obligations can first face county oversight and the appointment of a fiscal advisor. If an emergency loan reaches at least 200% of the district’s state-recommended reserve level, the elected school board loses governing authority, the superintendent is removed, and an appointed administrator can make significant financial and educational changes to reduce costs. Local authority can eventually be restored after financial improvement and approval of a recovery plan, although oversight may continue until the loan is repaid with interest. Plumas Unified, Inglewood Unified, and South Monterey County Joint Union High School are currently repaying state loans, while five other districts appeared on the state’s latest fiscal warning list in May.

Indianapolis teachers union reverses course to support $95m school tax measure

The Indianapolis Education Association has reversed its opposition to a proposed property tax referendum after discussions with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) over planned budget cuts and potential educator layoffs. The referendum is expected to generate around $95m annually for IPS and roughly 60 participating charter schools. IPS still expects to cut about $20m if the measure passes, but district leaders said their current plan does not include district-wide educator layoffs, although individual schools could make targeted staffing adjustments based on enrollment, funding, and student needs. If the referendum fails in November, IPS expects cuts of about $40m. The district has already reduced spending, including $17m in central office cuts that eliminated 28 positions and $7m in school-level reductions that cut 36 teachers and 23 classified staff. The union and IPS have also discussed school mergers, consolidations, special education funding, and Innovation Network agreements as potential ways to manage costs.

Michigan raises ELL funding by $12.5m, but higher-proficiency students still miss out

Michigan has increased funding for English language learners by $12.5m, bringing the 2026-27 total to about $75.3m, but advocates and educators say the state still underfunds students who are approaching English proficiency. Districts receive additional funding based on WIDA ACCESS scores, ranging from $1,998 per student at the lowest proficiency levels to $225 for students scoring between 3.0 and 3.9, while students scoring 4.0 and above receive no extra state funding despite still being legally entitled to English language development services. Around 24,000 of Michigan’s more than 104,200 English learners did not qualify for additional state funding in 2024-25, even though they were required to receive at least 150 minutes of instruction each week. School leaders said the shortfall forces districts to rely on general funds and can leave students, particularly those in the middle and higher proficiency ranges, without sufficient support. Lawmakers have said they intend to increase funding toward recommended levels of $3,500 to $7,500 per student, but have not set a timeline.

DISTRICTS

Cedar Rapids school board develops oversight goals ahead of five school closures

The Cedar Rapids school board is developing goals to oversee a major district restructuring that will close five elementary schools and introduce an intermediate-school model for fifth and sixth grades beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The proposed goals include supporting implementation of the district’s five-year strategic plan, monitoring the school reconfiguration, expanding engagement with families and the community, and strengthening board members’ understanding of Iowa school finance and responsible fiscal management. The board plans to draw on expertise from the district’s chief financial officer, the Iowa Association of School Boards, and the Iowa Association of School Business Officials to improve its financial knowledge. The restructuring is intended to reduce district expenses, allowing some savings to be reinvested in student programming.

Portland school closure plans expose divisions as district confronts enrollment decline

Portland Public Schools is preparing to unveil scenarios for closing a combination of K-5, K-8, and middle schools as the district responds to declining enrollment and rising operating costs. The school board, which is expected to make a final decision in December, is considering factors including enrollment trends, building conditions, geography, student transitions between schools, and the potential impact on low-income communities and students of color. Parents remain divided, with some groups seeking to delay or prevent closures, while others argue that closures are inevitable and want the district to prioritize neighborhood schools. Families have also raised concerns about the future of closed buildings, the accuracy of forecasts projecting another 6,000-student enrollment decline over the next decade, potential savings, class sizes, and whether remaining schools would receive stronger academic and extracurricular resources.

NUTRITION

Minnesota’s universal school meals boost participation and ease pressure on families

Minnesota’s universal school meals program has increased student participation, reduced skipped meals and cafeteria stigma, and provided financial relief for families since launching statewide in fall 2023. In the program’s first year, school lunch participation rose 15%, while breakfast participation increased 40%, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. Studies also found that before universal meals, 34% of students who did not qualify for free or reduced-price lunches had skipped meals, rising to 70% among Black, Indigenous, and other students of color. The state estimates families save about $1,000 per student annually, while 51% of surveyed families reported less concern about household budgets. State spending on school meals has increased from $277m in 2024 to an estimated $306m in 2026, while higher participation has created challenges including longer cafeteria lines and reduced eating time.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS

Limited testing data leaves SC lawmakers unable to judge K-12 voucher outcomes

South Carolina officials still cannot determine how students in the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund are performing academically because too little usable testing data was collected during the program’s first year. Of the 2,880 students initially enrolled, only about one in 10 ultimately produced test results that the Education Oversight Committee considered usable, leaving the sample too small and unrepresentative to draw conclusions about student outcomes. The oversight agency also lacked prior-year scores, demographic information, and graduation data, while many submitted tests were unapproved, misaligned with state standards, administered at the wrong grade level, or otherwise unusable. Legislators have spent more than $170m on the program, which now provides roughly $7,500 per student for expenses including private school tuition and tutoring. State officials say they are working to standardize testing systems, digitize submissions, set regular reporting deadlines, and improve data collection so lawmakers can better assess whether the program is improving academic results.

SOCIAL & COMMUNITY

Colorado schools grapple with students’ free-speech rights as social media discipline expands

Colorado school districts are disciplining students for off-campus social media activity involving bullying, threats, fighting, offensive speech, and other misconduct, raising questions about students’ First Amendment rights. A review of 15 public school systems in metro Denver found that only two had standalone student social media policies, while all allowed discipline for off-campus conduct when there is a sufficient connection, or “nexus,” to school. However, districts rarely define that standard clearly, leaving administrators to make case-by-case judgments. The legal tension was highlighted by a 2023 jury verdict finding that Cherry Creek Schools violated a student’s First Amendment and due process rights by suspending and expelling him over an antisemitic Snapchat post made off campus. The jury awarded the student $135,500. School officials argue they must be able to intervene when online activity threatens safety or substantially disrupts learning, while attorneys and advocates warn that overly broad discipline can infringe students’ free-speech rights.

INTERNATIONAL

Mexico moves to restrict phones and tablets in schools as teachers back tighter rules

Mexico is set to introduce a nationwide ban on cell phone and tablet use in primary and secondary schools, with the restrictions expected to take effect at the end of October. Federal and state education authorities have agreed to the measure, which will become effective 30 days after President Claudia Sheinbaum approves and promulgates it. Education Minister Mario Delgado said the policy is intended to protect students’ mental health, learning, and development, while strengthening attention spans, human interaction, and community. At the high school level, individual institutions will determine their own limits to ensure devices are used responsibly, safely, and for educational purposes. The move follows a survey in which 81% of more than half a million teachers supported guidelines and rules governing the safe use of devices for educational purposes.
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