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USA
6th October 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Nearly 12,000 book bans recorded across U.S. schools in 2025–26

PEN America recorded nearly 12,000 instances of book banning involving 7,370 unique titles across 114 U.S. school districts during the 2025–26 academic year, the highest level since the organization began tracking school book censorship in 2021. Texas accounted for more than 8,100 removals, overtaking Florida as the state with the most bans, with PEN attributing much of the increase to legislation targeting allegedly obscene material in school libraries. The number of districts implementing bans also rose to 114 from 87 in the previous academic year. PEN said AI tools have increasingly been used by school administrators to identify books containing potentially indecent or profane material, sometimes relying on keywords, existing lists of banned books, or references to subjects such as violence and racism without considering broader context. More than 4,500 titles added to PEN’s index during the year had not previously been recorded, including Jane Eyre and Lessons in Chemistry. The organization also identified growing scrutiny of manga series as another factor behind the increase, with entire series sometimes removed at once. Young adult fiction dealing with race and racism, LGBTQ+ experiences, and sex continued to be among the most frequently targeted material. Patricia McCormick’s Sold was banned in 25 districts, followed by Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak in 23 and Ellen Hopkins’s Crank in 22. PEN has now documented 34,000 instances of school book bans over five years and said its figures likely represent an undercount because removals can go unreported or only become public through information requests.

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EARLY YEARS

Head Start discipline overhaul could expand preschool suspensions and expulsions

The Trump administration has proposed eliminating federal Head Start rules that largely prohibit expulsions and restrict suspensions to extreme circumstances, allowing providers to establish discipline policies based on state and local requirements instead. Supporters of the proposal say it would give programs greater flexibility, while early childhood advocates warn that protections would vary sharply by location, with an analysis finding that 70% of states could leave Head Start students with fewer safeguards. The proposed changes would also roll back requirements intended to address behavioral problems before they escalate, including staffing ratios, mental health consultations, developmental screenings, and staff breaks. Critics argue that removing these supports could increase exclusions at a time when educators are already under strain, potentially leaving low-income families with few alternative preschool options. Federal data underscores concerns about disparities in preschool discipline. South Carolina suspended 604 public preschoolers 1,181 times during the 2023-24 school year, while Florida expelled 466, the most of any state. Earlier federal data also found that Black children were disproportionately affected: in 2021, they represented 18% of public preschool students but 43% of out-of-school suspensions. 

DISTRICTS

Outside groups pour millions into Chicago school board races

Spending in Chicago’s school board elections is accelerating as groups opposed to the Chicago Teachers Union seek to prevent the union from maintaining majority influence over the board. Four super PACs — Common Ground Collective, Illinois Network of Charter Schools, Urban Center, and Brighter Futures — have spent at least $3.5m since July 15, triggering the removal of state spending limits in 12 of 21 races. Common Ground alone has spent more than $2m, while the Illinois Network of Charter Schools plans to deploy as much as $4m. The CTU, which significantly outspent other groups during Chicago’s first school board elections in 2024, has so far reported less spending but plans increased campaigning ahead of the November 3 election. The union is also competing with SEIU, which represents school support staff and has backed its own slate through the Brighter Futures super PAC. Charter advocates and other anti-CTU groups say they want a board more independent of the union and Mayor Brandon Johnson, while the CTU argues that wealthy donors are seeking greater influence over Chicago Public Schools.

Portland school overhaul could affect more than half of district campuses

Portland Public Schools has unveiled two restructuring proposals that could close 11 to 14 schools and bring boundary changes and program shifts affecting up to 42 of the district’s 81 schools. The plans come as enrollment has fallen by 6,700 students since 2019 and is forecast to decline by another 5,100 over the next decade, leaving many schools under capacity and forcing staff and programs to be spread across multiple campuses. The proposals would also accelerate the conversion of K-8 schools to K-5 schools, consolidate some language immersion programs, and seek to create larger elementary and middle schools with broader staffing and course offerings. Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong is expected to recommend a scenario in November, ahead of a board vote in December, but parents and the Portland Association of Teachers have urged the district to consider alternatives before closures. The district is also facing a projected $65m budget deficit for 2027-28, although officials maintain that the closure process is intended to address enrollment and educational capacity rather than primarily generate savings.

McKinney ISD proposes new schools and upgrades despite recent campus closures

McKinney ISD in Texas is asking voters to approve a five-part package on November 3 that includes a property tax adjustment expected to generate just over $4m annually for teacher salaries and classroom programs, alongside four bond propositions totaling $500m. The largest, at $430.95m, would fund two new elementary schools, renovations, security improvements, and a proposed career and technical education center developed with Collin College. Other propositions would provide $62m for student technology, $4.5m for training pool repairs, and $2.55m for stadium turf and track replacement. The proposals come months after McKinney ISD closed three elementary schools because of declining enrollment and persistent budget deficits. District officials say new schools are nevertheless needed because growth is uneven, with substantial housing development expected to increase enrollment north of U.S. Highway 380. Officials also say the district’s overall tax rate would remain below last year’s level even if voters approve all five measures, following a nearly four-cent rate reduction in August.

FINANCE

Newton School Committee reviews math rollout, budget, and new student technology rules

Newton’s School Committee has unanimously approved handbook changes banning artificial intelligence without teacher permission and restricting personal devices for K-8 students during school and high school students during class. The Massachusetts district also reported early progress in its Math Pathways rollout, with 70% of 59 students in a summer bridge program improving their test scores and 78% of participating families reporting satisfaction. The district managed more than $360m across its budget and grants last year, ending 2025-2026 with a $22.54 balance and $1.4m in carryover “circuit breaker” funds, despite maintenance costs running $438,000 over budget. Its business and finance office received the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International for its transparent and organized budget presentation, while financial analyst Awino Odhiambo received the organization’s Emerging Scholars Award.

LEGAL

Supreme Court leaves school district victory intact in ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a First Amendment appeal involving two Michigan middle school students who were ordered to remove sweatshirts bearing the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” leaving intact a federal appeals court ruling in favor of the school district. The brothers’ family sued after separate incidents at Tri County Middle School in 2022, arguing that the school had violated the students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The case could have provided further guidance on the extent to which public schools can restrict potentially vulgar or offensive student speech. While the Supreme Court’s landmark Tinker v. Des Moines ruling established that students retain First Amendment rights at school, subsequent decisions have allowed schools to restrict disruptive, vulgar, or offensive expression. The school district argued that those restrictions can also cover coded language, innuendo, and double meanings, and a divided panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the district. Separately, the Supreme Court declined an appeal from Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death for killing nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof had argued that the federal judge who presided over his case should have recused himself because of alleged concerns about impartiality.

ENROLLMENT

Native American enrollment shrinks as California education gaps persist

Native American enrollment in California public schools has fallen 30.5% over the past decade, declining from 34,704 students in 2015-16 to 24,130 in 2025-26. Native American students now represent 0.4% of statewide enrollment, down from 0.5%, although California may significantly undercount the population because of how multiracial and Hispanic Native American students are classified. The group also continues to face significant disparities in academic achievement, attendance, and graduation. In 2025, 23.5% of Native American students met state math standards, while 34.4% met English language arts standards. Their chronic absenteeism rate was 32% in 2024-25, compared with 19% statewide, and their four-year graduation rate was 80%, the lowest of any racial or ethnic group and below the statewide rate of about 87%.

RECRUITMENT

Missouri schools increasingly rely on uncertified and alternatively certified teachers

Missouri schools are increasingly relying on educators without traditional certification as districts struggle to fill vacancies. More than 40% of new teachers are entering classrooms without certification, with substitute licenses, or through alternative certification programs, while the share of teachers holding professional or lifetime credentials fell from 97% in 2015 to just above 81% in 2024. Supporters say alternative pathways can bring experienced professionals into classrooms, while researchers warn that teachers entering through nontraditional routes generally have higher turnover rates. Missouri has raised its minimum teacher salary from $25,000 to $40,000, but low pay, challenging working conditions, and burnout continue to complicate teacher recruitment and retention.

HIGHER EDUCATION

SCOTUS ruling reshapes college admissions

This fall marks the third class of students admitted since the Supreme Court's decision to end race-conscious admissions. Research indicates that the percentage of first-year students with reported race or ethnicity as "unknown" rose from 3.3% to 4% in 2024, complicating the understanding of admissions trends. James Murphy, a senior fellow at Class Action, analyzed data from over 3,000 institutions, revealing a 4.33 percentage point drop in underrepresented students of color at Ivy Plus institutions. He describes this as a “cascade effect,” where declines at selective colleges coincide with increases at less selective ones. The report, Known Unknowns, highlights the challenges in interpreting these changes, as many students may choose not to disclose their race, leading to confusion about the implications of the ruling. As Jasmine Davis-Randolph, Ph.D., of Lumina Foundation notes, understanding who enrolls and completes college is crucial for assessing the ruling's long-term effects.

Tennessee moves to reduce ABA’s role in law school accreditation

Tennessee has become the latest state to reduce its reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) for law school accreditation, with the state Supreme Court moving to potentially allow graduates of non-ABA-accredited schools to qualify for attorney admission. Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Alabama have taken or proposed similar steps, as states reconsider the ABA’s longstanding role in legal education. The change comes as the ABA also faces a potential loss of its status as the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools, following an Education Department recommendation to deny its recognition. Tennessee’s Supreme Court did not explain its latest decision, but has previously framed reconsideration of the ABA requirement as a way to lower barriers to the legal profession and reduce the cost of legal services.

INTERNATIONAL

French high school protests intensify over teacher shortages and aging buildings

Students, teachers, and parents have marched across France and blockaded hundreds of high schools in the largest day of demonstrations during a two-week protest movement over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, aging buildings, and school schedules. The High School Students Union said 1,800 schools were blockaded or expected to close, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has ordered ministers to develop proposals addressing teacher absences, school hours, lunch breaks, and building repairs by the end of October. The demonstrations have also involved significant clashes with police, with the government saying 6,100 people have been arrested since the protests began, including a large number of minors. At least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have been injured, according to Lecornu’s office, while the government faces the challenge of addressing demands for education spending as it seeks to reduce France’s budget deficit.

AND FINALLY......

Michael Jordan pledges record $10m gift to UNC School of Social Work

Michael Jordan has committed $10m to the University of North Carolina School of Social Work in honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, marking the largest single gift in the school’s history. The funding will expand the Global Social Development Innovations Center, which will be renamed the Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center, and support the Jordan Institute for Families, which Jordan and his family founded in 1996. The donation will also establish the Jordan Family Scholars program to provide financial support to Master of Social Work students facing barriers to graduate education. Ten students will be named the inaugural Jordan Family Scholars, with each receiving a $12,500 scholarship. Jordan, a former UNC basketball star and graduate, said the gift recognizes his mother’s lifelong commitment to helping children, families, and communities, while supporting more students pursuing careers in social work.
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