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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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District Admin
Policy & Legislation
The school choice scholarship boom benefits kids already in private school

More families across the country are experimenting with private school as states—and soon the federal government—use taxpayer-supported scholarships to encourage them to leave public school. The post The school choice...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
What will school look like in a post-Regents world? Officials tease a ‘competency-based’ approach.

A student tests different combinations of essential oils as part of an experiment. State officials are pushing schools to use projects and portfolios to demonstrate their learning.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Columbia reinstates SAT, ACT requirements for 2027-28

The New York City institution is the last Ivy League college to announce an end to its test-optional admissions policy.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Kentucky State gets OK for program cuts amid state-mandated overhaul

The state’s higher education authority signed off on the narrowed offerings even as a lawsuit contests the university’s transformation.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Ohio Republican Lawmakers Pass Bill That Includes Requiring Schools to Teach When to Have Kids

Ohio lawmakers have passed a bill that would require schools to teach students to graduate high school, get a job, and get married — in that order — before having a baby. They call this order of events the success...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
New rules for 4-day school weeks draw pushback from some rural North Dakota schools

Under the four-day-a-week model, districts still must still meet the same requirements for minimum instruction time, so school days are longer. The post New rules for 4-day school weeks draw pushback from some rural...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
20 attorneys general sue Trump administration over federal contractor DEI order

The plaintiffs argue the president’s March executive order impedes each state’s efforts and is unclear in what it prohibits. 

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
District says 61 boys the Trump administration found on girls’ sports rosters were mascots, managers

The federal education department said it found 61 boys on girls’ sports rosters in Jeffco Public Schools. But the district said "some teams had male managers, trainers, or mascots."

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Voter guide: Where the 2026 Colorado Republican Party gubernatorial candidates stand on education

From left to right: State Rep. Scott Bottoms, Victor Marx, and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer during a Colorado Republican gubernatorial debate.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: He Said He Couldn’t Breathe. California Changed Its Law. Does Your School Know?

Most California parents assume that when they send their children to school on a hot day, someone is responsible for keeping them safe. They assume there are rules and that the adults in charge will notice if a child is...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
These 3 Colorado school districts banned cellphones: Here’s what changed

The state’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools just announced a bell-to-bell ban for cellphones and other wireless devices. The post These 3 Colorado school districts banned cellphones: Here’s what changed...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
How much each US state spends on public school students, ranked

In 2024, US public schools received nearly $995 billion in funding, with state and local sources combined providing nearly 90% of the total, according to Census data. The post How much each US state spends on public...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Texas’ Charter School Boom May Soon Bust, Experts Caution

Texas charter schools recently saw their smallest enrollment bump in state history, signaling that similar forces crushing traditional public districts may soon hit them as well. Students have enrolled in charters at...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Access to Early Care and Education Depends on Where You Live

Despite federal investments in early care and education, access to affordable, high-quality childcare is often determined by which state a family lives in. According to new data, there are wide disparities between...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Bill to mandate FAFSA anti-fraud system passes House

The No Aid for Ghost Students Act would largely codify a system for screening applicants that the U.S. Department of Education launched earlier this year. 

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Treasury Department preview of tax credit scholarship rules suggests limited role for states

The Treasury Department has promised to finalize rules for the federal tax-credit scholarship by the end of September.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Tighter rules, more oversight now govern homeschool enrichment in Colorado

Starting in the 2026 school year, state-funded homeschool enrichment programs can't pay for private activities like sports camps or martial arts lessons.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Federal lawsuit over Tennessee religious charter school ban will move forward

The legal fight over religious charter schools in Tennessee and a new state law signal significant changes may be on the horizon for the state’s charter landscape.

Policy & Legislation
Cal State’s newest polytechnic campus hopes a rebranding will bring enrollment gains

Cal Poly Humboldt has seen a slight increase in enrollment since its rebranding in 2022, and aims to enroll over 11,600 students by 2035, by focusing on applied learning and interdisciplinary programs.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
No more scrolling at lunch: Officials from 3 Colorado school districts discuss their cellphone bans

All Colorado school districts must adopt a cellphone policy by July 1. Ahead of that deadline, officials from three districts with bans talked to the State Board of Education about how it’s going.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
CPS CEO Macquline King testified before Congress. Here are 3 key takeaways.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King appeared before Congress on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, to answer questions on the district's gender identity and sexuality policies.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
House appropriators move to label graduate nursing as professional degree

The House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill that would enable students in those programs to access higher federal borrowing limits. 

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
DOJ opens investigation into CUNY student success program

The probe is one of dozens of civil rights investigations the federal agency has publicized over the last week.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Michigan bills aimed at improving student literacy clear House committee

Three bills that supporters say will improve student literacy in Michigan cleared a House committee on Wednesday.

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Austin public schools face reckoning as state takeover looms

Critics of a takeover say it could open the way for policy changes not necessarily aligned with the wishes of voters—but proponents argue that it could free the district to pursue reforms free of the pressures of local...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Trump law would also direct voucher money to public schools

The law, which creates the first-ever federal voucher program, is designed, in part, to lure Democrats. It’s unclear how many blue states will sign up. The post Trump law would also direct voucher money to public...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Coalition asks judge to halt Trump’s anti-DEI contractor order

The group, led by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, filed a lawsuit over the executive order in April.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
NYC Kids Speak Up: What Mamdani Should Do if Knicks Win NBA Title

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Are more Memphis school closures on the horizon? The state takeover could mean yes.

MSCS is already closing five schools this summer. But state takeovers tend to usher in more building shutdowns.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Educators Inspired by Kansas High School Students Hoping to Become Teachers

EMPORIA, Kan. — Teacher Sheila Peterson says this era of education is a renaissance. Peterson, an acclaimed North Dakota teacher, flew to Kansas for the Kansas Future Teachers Academy at Emporia State University and to...