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A coalition of 16 states has accused the Trump administration of attempting, for a second time, to undermine a federal court order that blocked the cancellation of roughly $1bn in school mental health grants, arguing that the Department of Education is effectively trying to terminate funding through indirect means. The grants, established by Congress to expand access to school-based mental health services, were previously halted by the administration on the grounds that they conflicted with its policy priorities. However, a federal judge ruled in December that the cancellations were unlawful and ordered the department to reassess each grant using proper procedures and objective performance data rather than political considerations. The states now argue that, instead of complying with that ruling, the department is imposing new administrative hurdles, such as additional reporting requirements, shortened funding timelines, and delays in disbursing funds, that disproportionately affect certain grantees, particularly those in states involved in the lawsuit. They claim these actions are designed to “starve” programs of funding and create justification for eventual termination, in violation of the court’s injunction. During a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson expressed skepticism about the department’s approach, questioning whether singling out certain grantees aligned with the spirit of the ruling and suggesting the actions could reflect bad faith. The Department of Education, however, denied any wrongdoing, stating that differences in treatment reflect varying circumstances among grantees and broader budgetary constraints, and that it remains compliant with the court order. A written ruling from the court is expected in the near future.

 

Courthouse News Service

What’s Shaping Special Education Today

With approximately 7.5 million students nationwide receiving special education services, guidance around special education continues to evolve making it difficult for leaders to keep pace with the most relevant information. To help leaders stay current, a curated collection of the latest special education insights and free resources brings together expert perspectives and research‑aligned guidance.

These timely resources spotlight current thinking on special education as intervention, evidence‑based dyslexia practices, and instructional approaches that support students with learning disabilities across broader systems of support.

 

Twenty-seven states have indicated plans to opt into a new federal school choice initiative—the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, set to launch on January 1 2027, allowing taxpayers to donate up to $1,700 annually to scholarship organizations in exchange for a full federal tax credit. The program will fund K–12 expenses, including private school tuition and certain public school services, with student eligibility limited to households earning up to 300% of local median income. While formal rules are still pending from the Treasury Department, early opt-ins are intended to help states and scholarship groups prepare for implementation. The initiative has sparked widespread debate, with supporters arguing it could unlock billions in education funding and expand educational choice, while critics warn it may divert resources from public schools, reduce oversight, and increase inequities. Legislative battles are ongoing at both state and federal levels, including efforts to impose additional regulations, reject participation, or repeal the program entirely.

 

Yahoo News

The Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) Board approved a budget of $782.4m for the 2026-27 school year, resulting in a property tax rate increase to $16.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This marks an increase of $89.8m from the previous year's budget of $692.6m. Key allocations include $24.5m in new spending, with $1.7m dedicated to the district's five-year Reimagining Education, Reinvigorating Schools plan. The plan aims to enhance student academic outcomes and retention. DMPS officials attribute a projected $17.9m budget deficit to declining enrollment and reduced state aid, estimating a loss of approximately 550 students annually through the 2030-31 school year.

 

Des Moines Register

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has unveiled a 2026–27 budget proposal centered on education investment, including an average 11% teacher pay raise that would lift starting salaries to $53,120, the highest in the Southeast, alongside bonuses, stipends, and structural pay reforms. The plan prioritizes public schools, proposing to phase out new private school voucher awards, expand funding for special education, school meals, safety, and staffing, and invest in programs like Advanced Teaching Roles, while also allocating funds for technology, infrastructure, and literacy initiatives. Beyond K-12, the budget includes support for community colleges through workforce-focused funding reforms and free short-term training programs, as well as increased childcare subsidies, a new child tax credit, and Medicaid funding to address rising costs. Stein also calls for halting previously scheduled tax cuts to avoid a projected $5bn shortfall, while introducing targeted relief measures for families, positioning the proposal as a trade-off between investing in public services and continuing broad tax reductions.

 

EdNC

Tennessee Republicans have enacted a significant intervention in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools, granting political appointees extensive authority over the elected school board and the district, which serves over 100,000 students. The oversight board will have four years to address concerns regarding academic underperformance and administrative instability. This new law allows the board to set performance metrics, control hiring and firing of superintendents, and manage the district's $1.7bn budget. Memphis school board member Antonio Parkinson criticized the law as “racist,” highlighting the racial dynamics of the intervention. While some support the oversight due to ongoing issues, others argue it undermines local governance. Rep. Mark White, the bill's sponsor, said: “This bill is not about any one district, any one city or county.” Legal challenges are anticipated, particularly regarding the law's implications for local governance and accountability measures.

 

Chalkbeat

Columbus City Schools (CCS) officials and Columbus City Council members announced a formal partnership on April 21, aimed at enhancing community collaboration. City Council President Shannon Hardin emphasized the importance of shared responsibility, stating: "The fates of our city and schools are intertwined, and we will rise or fall together." CCS School Board President Antoinette Miranda highlighted the necessity of this partnership amid declining state funding, asserting that "new challenges require new solutions." The initiative includes the "Columbus Promise" program, which provides tuition-free access to Columbus State Community College for CCS graduates. Additionally, a $250,000 investment was announced to fund a "community campus" pilot program at Northland High School, designed to connect residents with essential resources. CEA President John Coneglio noted that this model aims to stabilize the district and enhance enrollment while maintaining high educational standards.

 

The Columbus Dispatch

Passwordless authentication is emerging as a potential solution for K–12 schools seeking stronger cybersecurity without the friction of traditional passwords and multifactor authentication, though widespread adoption remains limited due to practical and logistical barriers. The approach replaces passwords with alternatives such as biometrics, trusted devices, or security keys, aiming to improve both security and user experience. While widely adopted in enterprise settings, K–12 schools face unique challenges, including resistance to phone-based MFA, limited budgets for staff devices, and restrictions on student cellphone use, all of which complicate identity management. Experts suggest schools begin by assessing current login pain points, segmenting users by age and technical readiness, and piloting small-scale implementations, such as with staff or older students. Clear communication about benefits, like fewer password resets and smoother classroom experiences, is seen as critical to overcoming resistance. However, adoption comes with concerns around privacy, particularly when using biometrics with minors, as well as costs and operational challenges tied to managing additional hardware. Schools must also align any rollout with legal requirements and community expectations.

 

EdTech Magazine

The family of five-year-old Finn Katona, who was killed during a school bus transfer in Wisconsin in 2025, has reached a confidential legal settlement that includes the creation of “Finn’s Rule,” a nationwide safety initiative designed to reinforce bus driver awareness of danger zones around vehicles. The program will distribute safety reminder cards—featuring Finn’s photo and key precautions—to potentially up to 130,000 bus drivers, emphasizing practices such as checking blind spots, accounting for all children, and exercising caution before moving buses. Finn died after falling near a bus wheel during a transfer between buses in a school parking lot, a process his parents say was unsafe and unnecessary, particularly as the district changed the policy immediately after the incident to eliminate transfers for young students. While authorities ruled the death accidental, his parents argue it resulted from negligence and hope the initiative will prevent similar tragedies, using Finn’s story to highlight the importance of strict adherence to safety procedures.

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

California has invested $156m since 2022 to replace heat-trapping asphalt with trees and plants at 215 schools, as announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Through Cal Fire’s Green Schoolyards program, approximately 6,000 new trees will create safer and cooler environments for about 94,000 students. Newsom said: "Kids shouldn’t have to choose between going outside and staying safe from the heat. Every child deserves a healthy, safe place to learn." The initiative aims to enhance air quality, reduce extreme heat, and expand urban tree canopy, particularly benefiting the 2.6m students in California who attend schools with less than 5% tree canopy, many of whom are in low-income communities. Eric Huff, Cal Fire Deputy Director of natural resource management, emphasized the importance of increasing shade and green space for vulnerable communities and advancing climate resilience. Additionally, Cal Fire announced $13.5m in new funds for educational facilities affected by the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak.

 

EdSource

Katy Myers Allis, a principal in Fort Worth, Texas, emphasizes the need for a shift in how accountability is approached in schools. She reflects on a poignant moment with a teacher who felt devastated by not meeting benchmarks, realizing that accountability often equates to fear rather than support. Allis states: "When accountability is driven by a leader's anxiety, teachers stop feeling safe." To foster a positive environment, she advocates for a system that prioritizes support and celebrates growth. By providing personalized coaching and recognizing achievements, Allis has seen significant improvements in teacher confidence and performance. She concludes that schools require better accountability, which builds trust and creativity among educators, rather than relying on fear to ensure compliance.

 

Education Week News

Ohio has introduced a new statewide Attendance Dashboard to help schools monitor and address chronic absenteeism, providing weekly, grade-level data to identify trends and enable earlier intervention. The tool compiles self-reported data from districts across the state, where more than 25% of students were chronically absent last year, and allows comparisons between schools to highlight patterns and effective responses. While participation is not mandatory and some major districts have yet to report data, officials say the platform will help communities better understand root causes, such as transportation, health, and home challenges, and tailor support to different age groups, with early examples showing measurable improvements in attendance.

 

Governing

A constitutional challenge by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) against the Canadian province’s Back to School Act has been delayed until July 2027, pushing the full hearing back by nearly ten months as the union awaits key Supreme Court of Canada rulings that could shape its legal arguments. The ATA said the postponement will allow its lawyers to incorporate forthcoming decisions on similar cases, particularly those concerned with the use of the notwithstanding clause, which the Alberta government invoked when passing the legislation in October 2025. That law ended a three-week strike, forced more than 51,000 teachers back to work, and imposed a four-year collective agreement. The union argues the act violates teachers’ constitutional rights and that the notwithstanding clause was used improperly, including being applied retroactively to enforce a contract that had already been rejected. However, the ATA suffered an early setback in March when a court denied its request for an injunction to suspend the law, ruling that while harm had occurred, it did not meet the threshold of irreparable harm and that the public interest favored keeping the legislation in place.

 

City News Edmonton

CBC News