Federal Updates

The 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.”

The 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.

President 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.”

After 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.

A new report produced by the Healthy Schools Campaign looks at what would happen to school health services, student resources and district funding if Congress cuts Medicaid.

What we know of the latest of 3/11/25 USED reduction in force (RIF) and the preceding events this week.

AESA joined more than 30 other national organizations in a joint letter to Congress. The letter urges the Senate to vote against S.J.Res.7, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate hotspot decision last year.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is cancelling two programs – estimated worth of $1 billion – that provides resources for schools and other organizations to purchase local foods.