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On Friday, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping tax and spending bill into law in a high-profile White House ceremony. Celebrated as a major legislative win, the law extends most of Trump's 2017 tax cuts and adds deductions for tips, overtime, and seniors. The bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will aid $3.4tn to federal deficits over the next 10 years, is being partially paid for by significant cuts to health care and nutrition programs, including Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,) which provides food assistance to over 13m children and makes kids automatically eligible for free meals at school. It also largely terminates numerous tax incentives from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act for clean energy, electric vehicles and energy efficiency programs, ending tax credits for new and used electric vehicles, installation of home EV charging equipment and insulation or energy efficient heating and cooling systems. It creates a new voucher-like program that will pay for private school scholarships, although states will be allowed to opt out if they wish. Individuals can subtract $1,700 off their tax bill if they donate that amount to an organization that awards scholarships to kids who attend private school. The cuts to Medicaid, the fourth-largest source of federal funding for schools, have caused alarm; Jessie Mandle, the national program director at the nonprofit Healthy Schools Campaign, said it is the equivalent of cutting district budgets, adding: “School districts are very much aware of how important Medicaid dollars are to serve students with disabilities, address the youth mental crisis, [and] address students’ behavioral health needs.” 

 

CBS News

Chalkbeat

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear two cases testing the constitutionality of state laws that bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams. The cases, one from West Virginia and the other from Idaho, involve transgender athletes who at least initially competed in track and field and cross country. An appeals court ruled that Idaho’s law violates the Constitution’s equal protection cause by targeting transgender people, while another appeals court concluded that the West Virginia law violates Title IX, the federal law banning most sex discrimination by schools. The West Virginia case, West Virginia v. B.P.J., was filed by a then-middle school student who told the Supreme Court she was “devastated at the prospect” of not being able to compete after the state passed a law banning trans women athletes’ participation in public school sports. The Idaho case, Little v. Hecox, was filed on behalf of several plaintiffs, including a 17-year-old girl who was a junior at Boise High School and concerned about be being subjected to invasive “sex verification” testing under a new law. Arguments in the cases are likely to take place in the fall with decisions expected from the high court by June 2026.

 

CNN

New York Times

Politico

Wall Street Journal

About 7,000 educators gathered in Portland for the National Education Association's (NEA) annual meeting, which took place in Portland from July 1-7. NEA President Becky Pringle emphasized the importance of educators' involvement in decision-making, stating, "Educators must be at the core of all decisions that are made." The meeting served as a platform for setting the union's agenda, electing officers, and discussing education policies. Pringle also addressed the impact of the Trump administration's withholding of $7bn in federal funding, calling it "unconscionable" and highlighting the need for accountability in the upcoming elections. Congress had already appropriated that money. A part of our challenge and our responsibility is to take this very example and say that now our kids will be going back to school, some of them in a couple of weeks, in the middle of chaos, because that money that was promised was taken, and now they have to prepare for all these other cuts. And so our job is to make sure that people know it and understand that the people they elected, the people who were elected, did this to them, their children, and their community. That's our job right now," she added.

 

The Oregonian

San Antonio school district leaders are struggling to adapt to significant federal policy changes under President Donald Trump's administration. During a panel at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference, superintendents Quentin J. Lee, Keith Konyk, and Eric Mackey expressed concerns over Trump's freeze of nearly $6.8bn in federal K-12 education funds and a 50% reduction in the Department of Education's staff. Mackey stated, “We are telling our superintendents: don't panic, don't close off any programs,” but he worries about the potential cancellation of previously approved funds. The panel also discussed the implications of a new federal private school choice program, which Lee criticized for diverting funds from public education. The elimination of key offices within the Department of Education has prompted superintendents to seek alternative resources for implementing technology in schools.

 

Education Week News

The New Jersey Department of Education has intervened to prevent the Toms River Regional School District from filing for bankruptcy. The district has faced significant financial challenges, losing over $175 million in state aid since 2018 due to a revised funding formula. In response to the state's demand for a nearly 13% tax increase to balance the budget, the school board opted to pursue bankruptcy instead. The state has now adopted the district's budget, explaining: “While the Department acknowledges the difficulty inherent in school district budgeting decisions, the State and the public hold their school district leaders to the highest standards.” Toms River Board of Education President Ashley Lamb criticized the state's actions, claiming it shifts the financial burden onto local taxpayers. The district has already cut staff and raised taxes significantly in previous years, leading to a cumulative tax increase of 22.2% over two years.

 

NJ.com

The Philadelphia school district is planning to reduce the number of standalone middle schools to enhance student achievement and optimize resources, according to Superintendent Tony Watlington. Currently, there are 14 standalone middle schools, which often lead to frequent transitions for students. Watlington emphasized: “We want to limit the number of transitions that our students have to make from one school to the next.” The district aims to address underenrollment issues, as many middle schools are operating below capacity. For instance, Tilden Middle School had over 260 students in a building designed for 1,200. The facilities planning process will involve community engagement to determine which schools may close, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to quality programs across neighborhoods.

 

Chalkbeat

New York City charter school network Success Academies is expanding to Florida, and hopes to open 40 schools in a 10-year period, starting in the 2027-28 school year. Founder and chief executive Eva Moskowitz said she will decide on initial locations over the next two months. The plan is being put into motion just days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation allowing high-performing charter schools to co-locate, or operate within public schools that have unused space. Success’ expansion comes as Florida deals with a persistent shortage of teachers. The state ranks 43rd in the country when it comes to education funding per student, according to Leslie Miller Saiontz, founder and president of education nonprofit Achieve Miami.

 

Bloomberg

School boards have become central to heated debates over issues like mask policies and LGBTQ+ rights. Research from a June 2025 study by Ohio State and Emory universities reveals that incumbent school board members win over 80% of the time, often in uncontested races. Despite high reelection rates, turnover occurs mainly due to incumbents choosing not to run again. The study also found that lower student performance does not lead to increased electoral competition. Additionally, electing educators to school boards tends to raise teacher pay but does not correlate with improved student achievement. Notably, endorsements from teachers' unions significantly influence election outcomes, often more than other endorsements. The demographic makeup of school boards remains predominantly white, despite a diverse student population. While most school board meetings are civil, tensions have risen, particularly during the pandemic and debates over critical race theory. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for grasping the current educational landscape.

 

Education Week News

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has expressed deep concern over the alarming number of student deaths due to gun violence, commenting in an interview conducted on June 11: "I lost a student this morning, lost one two days ago, and just continue to lose students." This year alone, 25 students have died from gun violence, a crisis overshadowed by the lead contamination issue in schools. Cassellius emphasized the need for collaboration with city, county, and state leaders, as well as community organizations, to address the pressing issue. She also highlighted the importance of improving student attendance, noting that about 50% of MPS students are chronically absent. Cassellius is working with the Milwaukee County District Attorney on a progressive approach to truancy, aiming to keep students in school while engaging families. "They only get one chance," she remarked, stressing the urgency of the situation.

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An intensive lobbying effort to make Oregon the ninth state to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students has stalled. House Bill 3435, which aimed to require all 1,274 schools to offer free meals by the 2026-2027 school year, did not pass through the Joint Ways and Means Committee. Despite a last-minute push from advocates, including a mobile billboard criticizing lawmakers, the bill failed to gain traction. David Wieland, a policy advocate at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, expressed frustration, commenting: “We had the resources to pass common sense policies and failed to do so.” Currently, free meals are available if at least 25% of students in a district qualify based on income. The situation leaves some districts offering universal meals while others do not, highlighting ongoing food insecurity issues in the state. Sen. Courtney Neron Misslin, the bill's chief sponsor, plans to regroup and push for the initiative in future sessions.

 

The Oregonian

New teachers often struggle with challenging conversations with students and parents. To address this, two former K-12 teachers have developed mixed-reality simulations at North Carolina Central University's School of Education. These simulations allow preservice teachers to practice social-emotional skills and navigate difficult situations in a virtual environment. Megan Lyons, an assistant professor, emphasized the importance of these exercises, adding that they help future teachers “realize their own skill sets and how to improve those competencies." The program has received positive feedback from students, who have expressed a desire to tackle more complex issues, such as bullying and sensitive family matters. Freda Hicks, the clinical experience and partnership director, noted that the simulations help teachers avoid common pitfalls, like sharing confidential information during parent meetings. Overall, the initiative aims to better prepare future educators for real classroom challenges.

 

Education Week News

California colleges are concerned that new federal measures aimed at reducing financial aid fraud may unintentionally discourage legitimate students from enrolling. Tina Vasconcellos, associate vice chancellor of educational services at the Peralta Community College District, summed up the dilemma: “The more barriers, the harder we make it to get in our systems, the less people will come.” The U.S. Department of Education plans to implement stricter identity verification for first-time financial aid applicants, affecting around 125,000 students nationwide. While the goal is to prevent fraud, which has cost California community colleges at least $14m since 2021, officials worry that additional requirements could create obstacles for students, particularly those with limited access to technology. Jasmine Ruys, vice president of student services at College of the Canyons, emphasized the need to balance fraud prevention with accessibility, commenting: “We try really hard not to put any kind of barriers up for a student.”

 

EdSource