The Signal in Education News
The U.S. Department of Education contends that California's policies violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA, which grants parents the right to request and review their children’s educational records.
Districts warn they’re near breaking point after years without state baseline funding adjustments. Many say cost falls to local taxpayers.
As Illinois faces a $2 billion budget shortfall, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposes a statewide fee on social media companies, with monthly charges tied to their number of active users in the state and larger companies paying more.
Pritzker is proposing increases to K-12 funding, but union leaders want him to fully fund the main education formula by next year — a multibillion-dollar cost.
The proposal includes the potential closure of 27 schools and the expansion of 11 in its first release of redistricting scenarios. The decision is not final and may change based on feedback until a final call is made in late fall.
Houston Independent School District proposes closing 12 schools in 2026-27, citing declining enrollment from 189,901 to 176,693 students and aging infrastructure. The district's Board of Managers will vote on the closures on February 26 as part of its "Accelerate Houston" initiative.
NYC has spent $1.6 billion in recent years cushioning schools from enrollment-related cuts. As Mamdani warns of a $7 billion budget gap, officials have yet to say what he’ll do.
The Department of Justice is investigating whether parents are allowed to opt their kids out of lessons on “gender ideology” in Detroit schools and two other districts.
Amendments to exempt school districts and school resource officers from the provisions of the bill failed. Education groups are still trying to determine how SB 76 could affect cooperation with immigration enforcement and school policies.