Updates

Last week, three separate House committees met to advance pieces of the Republican reconciliation proposal. Of significant concern for district leaders is the shift of costs to states that the federal government has traditionally subsidized.

During a recent House hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assured lawmakers that the agency will continue to support the Head Start program.

Work on the federal fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget officially began last week with the release of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s “skinny budget.” This initial proposal outlines major consolidations and substantial cuts to education programs.

In recent weeks, USED has leveraged the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a policy tool to incentivize state compliance with other administration policy priorities. This blog post summarizes two sets of actions: specific communications with Maine and California, related to parent rights to access education records, and a broader ‘Dear Colleague’ letter about FERPA and students’ gender identity.

On March 28, the Department informed SEAs that the Administration has canceled any prior approval for “late liquidation” of remaining funds from a variety of federal pandemic recovery funds, including American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER and Homeless Children and Youth (HCY) funds.

With growing discussion around potential cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs, this resource clarifies the key differences between the reconciliation and appropriations processes—and what each could mean for education.