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Policy & Legislation

The latest Policy & Legislation news affecting school districts across America, updated twice daily and credited to original publishers.

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The 74
Policy & Legislation
In Mississippi, Summer Can Increase Risk of Hunger for 3 in 4 Kids Who Rely on In-School Meals

For the third year in a row, Gov. Tate Reeves opted out of a state-federal partnership that would have given summer grocery benefits to roughly 320,000 Mississippi children who rely on free meals during the school...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
State scrutinizes homeschool enrichment proposals from controversial education group

Education reEnvisioned BOCES is seeking to continue offering 42 homeschool enrichment programs that operate outside the boundaries of its one member school district.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
First Columbia Charter School Targets 2027 Opening Amid Lawsuit Over Missouri Law

Kansas City-based Frontier Schools is on track to open Columbia’s first charter school in the fall of 2027. At this point, Frontier Schools has hired a contractor and is looking for possible locations for the charter...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
‘Math Wars’: New York Wants To Reform Math Instruction, but Experts Disagree on How

New York school districts will soon begin revamping math instruction under a new law aimed at improving test scores — but the effort comes amid sharp debate over how math should be taught.  “Back to Basics in...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
No internet, no screen time? FCC weighs cutting subsidy that lowers school internet bills

Educators and advocates are bracing for the funding to shrink or be eliminated. The post No internet, no screen time? FCC weighs cutting subsidy that lowers school internet bills appeared first on District...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
5 key takeaways from the final Memphis schools audit report

The audit cites leadership instability as a key cause of dysfunction as the battle over MSCS' state takeover continues.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
At Hunter College, students tackle garbage — and a new way of shaping policy

Delegates get to know each other and the issues on the first day of the assembly at Hunter College.

Policy & Legislation
California community college settles with professor who sued over DEI policy

Bakersfield College agreed to not require Daymon Johnson to use diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility principles in his teaching or scholarship.

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Most states fail to meet IDEA requirements, feds say

Just 20 states earned a “meets requirements” designation from the Education Department this year for serving students with disabilities ages 3 to 21 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The post Most...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Some Microschools in Limbo While Awaiting New Federal Tax Credit Rules

Public schools are beginning to imagine ways they can benefit from the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, after the Treasury Department clarified last month that district students will be eligible for scholarships. But...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Education Department scaled back special education monitoring: report

Special education teacher Stephen Torres Esquer works with students in his classroom at Lowell High School in San Francisco in 2019. A new report raises concerns that under the Trump administration, the federal...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Appeals Court Says Religious Schools Can’t be Exempt From Maine’s Nondiscrimination Laws

Religious schools accepting public funds are required to follow Maine laws that protect against discrimination based on faith, gender identity and sexual orientation, a federal court has ruled. Crosspoint Church, which...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: The Lexington Problem: Beating the Literacy Odds Without the Science of Reading

The science of reading has largely won the policy debate. Over the last decade, state after state has embraced evidence-based reading instruction. Legislatures have passed literacy laws, and teacher preparation programs...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Another wave of Education Department regulations is coming

The Trump administration unveiled its timeline for a host of regulatory changes, including those related to accreditation, diversity initiatives and Title VI. 

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
What’s Mamdani’s agenda for K-12 education in NYC? 6 months in, it’s hard to say.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani named Kamar Samuels as schools Chancellor Dec. 31, 2025. In his first six months in office, Mamdani has devoted far less public attention to K-12 education than other core policy priorities.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Florida loses appeal over college accreditation

A panel of three federal judges rejected Florida’s argument that the system unconstitutionally delegates “unchecked authority” to private agencies.

Policy & Legislation
Florida’s Stop WOKE act struck down for colleges on appeal

Tuesday’s ruling called the state’s attempt to limit classroom discussion "a breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse."

The 74
Policy & Legislation
State Museum Debuts Exhibit Highlighting SC’s Role in Revolutionary War

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Soon after Patriots defended Charles Town at Fort Moultrie in 1776, the regiment received a flag embroidered with acorns, a battle drum and an early version of the crescent that would eventually adorn...

Policy & Legislation
California Bill Aims To Enlist Educators and Parents in Preventing Youth Suicide

Before Michaella Huck graduated from high school in 2018, she struggled with depression and anxiety and didn’t know where to get help. She’d hear stories of students who died on “suicide hill” in her Los Angeles...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Conservative law firm sues Denver Public Schools over its school board voting map

Denver Public Schools is Colorado’s largest school district. A conservative law firm is suing the district over its voting map.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Here’s what happened to 3 Colorado schools when state lawmakers reined in a controversial education group

Students work in the chemistry lab at Ascend College Prep, which because of a recent state law change switched authorizers.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Before Brown v. Board, Another Segregation Case Changed Public Schools

This story was originally reported by Nadra Nittle of The 19th. Meet Nadra and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. To understand why five California families took their fight against segregated...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Florida state board bans undocumented students from college system

One analysis estimates that the policy could cost the 28-institution system $15 million a year in lost tuition and fee revenue. 

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
All Colorado school districts must now have a cellphone policy. Here’s what the 20 largest adopted.

A Colorado law passed last year required school districts to pass cellphone policies but did not mandate a ban.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
What SCOTUS didn’t say about transgender athletes — and what the ruling means for schools and students

Demonstrators in support of and opposed to transgender athletes competing in women's sports gather outside the Supreme Court on Jan. 13, 2026, as the justices heard arguments in two cases challenging state bans. On...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Memphis schools takeover blocked by judge in temporary order

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a state takeover board's authority after Memphis school officials said it could delay the start of the school year or even force building closures as the district...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: The Real Problem With ‘Gifted’ Education

A version of this essay appeared on Matthew Yglesias’ Slow Boring, a site dedicated to offering pragmatic takes on politics and public policy.  Katie Arnold-Ratliff wrote a cover story for New York Magazine criticizing...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Another round of Education Department regulations is coming, official says

Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said Tuesday that the agency needs to make the process for college mergers, acquisitions and even closures “a lot easier.”

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Supreme Court rules states can restrict transgender athletes’ sports participation in schools

Young women demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the court upheld state laws barring transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's school sports. The much anticipated decision came on the last day...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
What it means when a Colorado college is designated a Basic Needs Campus or a Thriving Institution

Western Colorado University has a food pantry called the Mountaineer Marketplace with a fridge, cabinets, and shelves full of food. The pantry has helped the school earn a state Basic Needs Campus designation.