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.
Read MoreDuring 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.
Read MoreWork 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreWith 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.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Education issued a new directive requiring every state education agency (SEA) to certify within 10 days that they are complying with federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA). The certification does not demand the end of DEI efforts, but instead reiterates the need to ensure those efforts are lawful under Title VI and to cease “illegal DEI practices.”
Read MoreThe Supreme Court last week seemed poised to uphold the federal program that provides schools, libraries, and underserved areas with access to affordable telephone and high-speed internet services.
Read MorePresident Trump signed an executive order that would direct the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the U.S. Department of Education and “return education authority to the States.”
Read MoreAfter weeks of uncertainty about a potential government shutdown, Congress has approved a year-long continuing resolution (CR). This completes Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations and provides level-funding for most of the key K-12 formula programs, including IDEA, Title I, Title IV-A and REAP.
Read MoreRelated Resources
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Other websites and resources:
United States Department of Education
IDEA Legislation:
Chapter 33-Education of Individuals with Disabilities