Education Slice
Become more informed in minutes....
Education Slice Logo
USA
25th June 2026
Together with

THE HOT STORY

States face new financial penalties for SNAP errors

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported a 10.62% national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment error rate for fiscal year 2025, exceeding the 6% congressional threshold despite a modest improvement from FY 2024. According to the USDA, payment errors, including both overpayments and underpayments, amounted to $10.1bn nationwide. The agency said the figures reflect errors in determining eligibility and benefit amounts at the state level. Under new provisions in H.R. 1, states with payment error rates of 6% or higher will be required to fund 5%, 10%, or 15% of their SNAP benefit costs, depending on the severity of their error rates, with the new requirements expected to take effect in most cases on October 1, 2027. FY 2025 is the first year whose results may be used to calculate those financial responsibilities. The USDA also said states exceeding the threshold must submit corrective action plans to the Food and Nutrition Administration outlining how they will address the causes of payment errors. Some states may also face additional financial penalties under the existing SNAP quality control process. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the results demonstrate the need for greater state accountability and encouraged states to take further steps to reduce improper SNAP payments.

BOOST ENROLLMENT

How to Attract Families to Your School & Increase Enrollment  

Schools and districts must adapt to be a top-of-mind choice in an era where parents wield greater influence over their children’s academic journeys. As you seek to attract and retain students, this award-winning guide will support you.  

Free Marketing Guide

 

LEGISLATION

Vermont school choice law sets up potential clash with Trump administration

A new Vermont law could put the state on a collision course with the Trump administration by imposing restrictions on the federal school choice tax credit program that may conflict with upcoming federal regulations. The law limits scholarships awarded through the new federal program primarily to public school students and certain low-income students, while also encouraging funding for tutoring, after-school programs, and summer learning rather than private school tuition. It also includes anti-discrimination requirements for participating organizations and service providers. However, the U.S. Treasury Department has indicated that states will not be allowed to impose additional requirements on scholarship-granting organizations beyond those established in federal law. If that position is maintained, Vermont's restrictions could be overridden when federal regulations are finalized. The dispute highlights broader tensions among Democratic-led states over whether to participate in the new federal school choice initiative, which allows taxpayers to receive federal tax credits for donations supporting K-12 scholarships. While many Democrats support directing more resources toward public schools and lower-income families, school choice advocates argue that varying state restrictions could undermine the program's consistency nationwide.

DISTRICTS

LAUSD board selects insider as new superintendent

The Los Angeles USD (LAUSD) Board of Education has unanimously appointed Andrés Chait as superintendent, just three days after Alberto Carvalho resigned, elevating a longtime district educator and administrator who has served as acting superintendent since February. Chait, a former kindergarten teacher, principal, regional superintendent, and chief of school operations, has spent his entire career with LAUSD. He took over as acting superintendent after the FBI searched Carvalho’s home and office as part of an ongoing federal investigation related to an artificial intelligence chatbot contract. Carvalho has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing. The board cited Chait’s leadership during the district’s recent transition, including finalizing a four-year strategic plan and helping negotiate labor agreements that narrowly avoided a three-union strike. Union leaders and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass praised his collaborative leadership style and role in reaching labor agreements.

Detroit teachers union endorses new two-year contract deal

Members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) have approved a tentative two-year contract with Detroit Public Schools Community District, with more than 80% of the approximately 2,600 members who voted supporting the agreement. The contract, which covers the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, now awaits school board approval. The proposed agreement raises the starting annual salary for teachers with bachelor’s degrees from $55,000 to $57,400, while the maximum salary for teachers and credentialed ancillary staff would increase 7.49%, reaching $96,500 in 2026-27 and $100,100 in 2027-28 for teachers with master’s degrees. All union members, except those in alternative certification programs, would advance one step on the salary schedule each year, and substitute teachers would receive 3% annual raises in both years. The agreement retains existing bonuses for special education staff and long-serving employees but does not include language reaffirming the district’s sanctuary status for immigrant students or requiring Know Your Rights training, drawing criticism from some union members.

Evanston-Skokie District 65 Superintendent resigns amid financial challenges

Evanston-Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner will leave her position on June 30, one year before her contract was due to expire, after the Illinois district's board approved a mutual separation agreement following a school year dominated by financial challenges and administrative turnover. While the board did not provide a specific reason for the decision, several members indicated that the district’s ongoing budget pressures played a role. Board members praised Turner’s leadership, particularly her efforts to address the district’s financial crisis through cost reductions, increased transparency, and long-term planning. The leadership change comes amid broader turnover within District 65, with several senior administrators also departing at the end of the school year, including the chief financial officer and other cabinet-level leaders. The board has appointed former Evanston Township High School Superintendent Eric Witherspoon as interim superintendent beginning July 1, while a search for a permanent replacement gets underway.

FINANCE

Green Bay warns budget deficits could lead to staff cuts and school consolidations

The Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) is moving closer to a November operational referendum, with new polling suggesting voters slightly prefer a simpler funding proposal that would help address future budget deficits without increasing property tax rates. The district is considering two four-year referendum options to replace an expiring operational referendum and fund day-to-day expenses such as salaries, supplies, and technology. Polling conducted for the School Board found modestly stronger support for a proposal that would provide $31m annually for two years, rising to $46m for the following two years, compared with a more gradually increasing plan that would start at $27m and rise to $50m over four years. Survey results showed voters remain divided on a referendum overall. About 30% of respondents said they would support any referendum, 30% said they would oppose one, and 41% were considered persuadable. Nearly 60% of respondents said they do not believe the district is adequately funded. The School Board is expected to begin formal discussions on the referendum question at its July 13 work session, with a vote on the final ballot language likely later in July or August ahead of the deadline for the November election.

Funding constraints challenge Idaho education services plans

Paula Mason, the newly appointed executive director of Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind (IESDB), plans to expand educational services, improve academic outcomes, and increase career preparation opportunities for deaf and blind students across the state. Among her top priorities are improving reading and math performance, adapting curricula to better meet the needs of deaf and blind students, and expanding workplace learning opportunities, which she said are linked to stronger long-term employment outcomes. However, Mason said those efforts have been complicated by budget constraints, including reduced funding for summer workforce programs and the fact that 96% of the school's budget is devoted to personnel. Despite the financial challenges and limited prospects for additional state funding in the near term, Mason said IESDB will continue pursuing grants and partnerships to expand services and remains optimistic about the future of deaf and blind education in Idaho.

TECHNOLOGY

Watchdog says key education IT and cybersecurity offices were left vacant

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) lost 52% of its workforce during the Trump administration’s early 2025 reduction in force, leaving 44 employees from a staff of 92, according to a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The OIG found that the department eliminated 1,579 employees, or 40% of its workforce, during the first 10 weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term. Because the department did not provide requested staffing data, investigators used Microsoft Office and Teams records to identify employees affected by the layoffs. According to the report, several statutorily required OCIO suboffices responsible for enterprise IT oversight, cybersecurity policy, IT investment management, and federal security compliance were left with no remaining employees. The OIG also said about $6m in OCIO contracts were terminated as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s reorganization efforts. The Education Department disputed the findings, saying it has continued to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, that the OIG’s analysis covered only the period immediately following the layoffs, and that it did not account for employees who later returned to work. 

Broward School Board debates AI rollout

The Broward School Board is reviewing the implications of the newly acquired MagicSchool AI program for students and teachers, but has not halted its rollout. During a recent meeting, board member Adam Cervera requested a pause until Superintendent Howard Hepburn's staff provides a report addressing concerns about student privacy, costs, and the program's impact on learning and mental health. While the board agreed to seek more information, most members felt a pause was unnecessary since schools are closed for summer. Hepburn plans to present a report in July, with hopes to launch the program in the fall. In an op-ed for the Sun Sentinel, Sarah Leonardi, a Broward County School Board member, warns that schools risk repeating the mistakes of social media as AI enters classrooms. She argues that social platforms prioritized engagement over wellbeing, contributing to isolation, polarization, anxiety, and youth mental health concerns. Leonardi says schools should protect reading, writing, listening, deep thinking, empathy, and the humanities while introducing AI gradually through trained educators.

CURRICULUM

Texas board advances new elementary social studies standards

The Texas State Board of Education has given preliminary approval to revised elementary school social studies standards in a 10-3 vote following a lengthy and contentious debate over historical content, slavery, and the role of Christianity in the curriculum. Board members approved amendments adding historical figures including Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license, and Phillis Wheatley, widely regarded as the first African American published poet. The board also reinstated language identifying the expansion of slavery as the central cause of the Civil War, while recognizing sectionalism and states’ rights as contributing factors. Public comments throughout the review process raised concerns about both the representation of Black history beyond slavery and civil rights, and the emphasis placed on Christianity in the curriculum. The board is continuing its review of middle and high school social studies standards, with a final vote on the complete standards scheduled for Friday.

LEGAL

Education Department examining Title IX compliance in Maryland school systems

The U.S. Department of Education has opened a Title IX investigation into the Maryland State Department of Education and school districts in Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties over policies allowing transgender students to use restrooms and participate on sports teams consistent with their gender identities. The department’s Office for Civil Rights said the policies may conflict with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, which it says requires protections based on biological sex. The investigation follows complaints that female students who objected to sharing sex-separated facilities with transgender students were directed to use alternative facilities. The Maryland State Department of Education said it remains committed to supporting all students and complying with the law but declined further comment while the investigation is ongoing. The three school districts said they continue to provide safe and inclusive learning environments and emphasized that the investigation is a fact-finding process, not a determination of wrongdoing.

INTERNATIONAL

UN report warns learning losses are becoming permanent in crisis zones

A new report from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in crises, warns that conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters are disrupting education for an estimated 258m school-aged children and adolescents worldwide, raising concerns that millions could face long-term setbacks in learning, employment, and economic opportunity. The report, Breaking Barriers: Understanding Educational Exclusion in Crises, found that 93m children are completely out of school, while millions more remain enrolled but are unable to learn effectively due to instability, poor learning conditions, and repeated disruptions. Researchers warn that being in a classroom no longer guarantees meaningful education in many crisis-affected regions. Educational need is increasingly concentrated in the world's most severe emergencies. Of the 182m crisis-affected children living in the 20 highest-severity crisis settings, 74m are out of school, representing nearly 80% of all out-of-school children identified in the study. In some contexts, fewer than one in 10 children achieve basic reading proficiency in the early grades, with learning gaps widening over time and increasing the likelihood of dropout.
Industry Slice Logo

Education Slice delivers the latest, most relevant and useful intelligence to key educators, administrators, decision makers and teaching influencers, each weekday morning..

Content is selected to an exacting brief from hundreds of influential media sources and summarised by experienced journalists into an easy-to-read digest email. Education Slice enhances the performance and decision-making capabilities of individuals and teams by delivering the relevant news, innovations and knowledge in a cost-effective way.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities within Education Slice, please get in touch via email sales team

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on XFollow us on Linkedin

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe