The Bottom Line

The latest education policy news from the South

It has been a busy few weeks for education to say the least. At the federal level, President Trump’s U.S. secretary of education nominee, Linda McMahon, had her first confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Many senators probed her positions on defunding the U.S. Department of Education, expanding private school vouchers at the federal level, and maintaining protections for students with disabilities.

As the debate continues in Washington, multiple Southern states are considering updates for their school funding formulas. For example, Alabama lawmakers approved a report recommending the state adopt a funding hybrid model for the state’s public schools. Delaware’s Public Education Funding Commission remains open to a new funding formula, or improving the current funding system. Georgia lawmakers reintroduced legislation for the state to adopt a weighted funding model that would provide targeted funding for students living in poverty. SEF supports these efforts to provide additional funding for students in need. And West Virginia lawmakers are considering a review of the state’s school funding formula.

Leaders in several states in the region are examining the impacts of school voucher programs, working on implementing new programs, or considering legislation to expand them. For instance, Arkansas lawmakers introduced legislation requiring private schools that accept school vouchers to abide by the same reporting requirements as public schools. Unfortunately, this legislation failed in committee. The Georgia legislature is working through confusion around eligibility and the rollout of the state’s latest school voucher program. In Mississippi, HB 1433, which would establish a school voucher program, does not appear to have the support to pass this session. South Carolina’s SB 62, which would allow the use of state lottery funds for school vouchers, advanced out of the Senate and now heads to the House.

See below for our comprehensive summary of state updates on education across the South. We hope you find this resource useful in your work to ensure support for students of color and students living in low-income families in the region.

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State Updates

Alabama

State legislative committee recommends new K-12 funding model – An Alabama legislative committee approved a report recommending the state adopt a hybrid model of funding the state’s public schools but leaving the door open to other approaches. (Alabama Reflector) Read More
Commission on Higher Education requests funding increases – The Alabama Commission on Higher Education presented its budget request for the 2025 legislative session at a joint legislative budget hearing. (Alabama Political Reporter) Read More
Teacher advocate pushing for paid parental leave for Alabama public school teachers – A teacher advocate shares how the governor’s latest push to establish paid parental leave for public school teachers could help address teacher shortages. (WBRC News) Read More
How could Alabama be affected if the U.S. Department of Education closed – President Trump has signaled he wants to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. How would it affect Alabama? (WVTM 13 News) Read More

Arkansas

Expansion of child-care assistance program leads to welcome increase in enrollment – The expansion of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program to include child-care workers and adoptive parents has resulted in more than 2,600 additional students receiving assistance to attend high-quality child-care programs. The state assistance program reached capacity for the first time since 2018. (Arkansas Department of Education) Read More
Bill requiring private schools to abide by public school reporting requirements fails in committee – HB 1144, which would have required private schools that participate in the state’s school voucher program to follow the same reporting requirements as public schools, failed in committee. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) Read More

Delaware

Public Education Funding Commission emphasizes values-based approach to address school funding formula – At its fifth meeting to date, the state Public Education Funding Commission decided to remain open to a new public school funding formula or improve the current funding system. (Delaware Public Media) Read More

Florida

How a dismantled U.S. Department of Education could impact Florida – Teachers unions in Florida say President Trump’s proposed elimination of the U.S. Department of Education would hurt students and public schools. (WTSP News) Read More

Georgia

Lawmakers reintroduce bills to add funding for schools with students living in poverty – A mostly Democratic group of lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to increase public education funding for economically disadvantaged students. (WABE News) Read More
Unanswered questions linger ahead of Georgia Promise Scholarships rollout – Georgia officials are preparing to implement a new program that allows qualifying families to use up to $6,500 of public money for private school tuition and other education costs. (WABE News) Read More
Lieutenant governor wants to open the state’s school vouchers to foster families – Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is backing a plan to expand the state’s new school voucher program to the biological and adoptive children of foster care parents. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Subscription Required) Read More
Georgians could vote to make state school superintendent appointed, not elected – A group of state lawmakers rolled out a plan that seeks to shift the state school superintendent from an elected office to being appointed by the Georgia State Board of Education. If passed, HR 174 would appear on ballots in 2026 as a proposed state constitutional amendment. (WABE News) Read More
What eliminating the U.S. Department of Education could mean for Georgia – Diminishing the federal agency could have profound effects in Georgia and other states. The department budgeted $18.6 billion in Title I funds to schools in high-poverty areas for the 2025 fiscal year nationwide, and more than $2.2 billion to the state’s public schools. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Subscription Required) Read More

Kentucky

State Republican lawmaker pushes legislation to eliminate university diversity initiatives – A Republican lawmaker filed HB 4 to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, offices, and staff at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities. (Louisville Public Media) Read More
Gov. Beshear authorizes $14.7 million to Kentucky schools to cover budget shortfall – Gov. Andy Beshear is authorizing $14.7 million to cover part of a $40 million state funding shortfall facing public schools. (Kentucky Lantern) Read More
When the state’s kindergarteners are not ready, lawmakers want to hold them back – An elementary school principal and Republican lawmaker is pitching HB 240 to mandate kindergarteners repeat the year if they do not meet state standards. (Louisville Public Media) Read More

Maryland

Rally message for governor, lawmakers: ‘Fully fund the Blueprint’ education reform plan – Advocates are criticizing Gov. Wes Moore’s proposal to cut some funding from the state’s sweeping education proposal as Maryland faces a fiscal 2026 budget gap. (Maryland Matters) Read More
Governor visits early learning center for roundtable on child-care accessibility and affordability – Gov. Moore participated in a roundtable discussion with parents, educators, and policymakers on expanding child-care accessibility and affordability, learning first-hand about the resources available to families since the state’s expansion of the Child Care Scholarship Program. (The BayNet.com) Read More

Mississippi

School voucher bill stalls in state House – HB 1433, which would establish a school voucher program does not appear to have the support to pass this session. (Mississippi Today) Read More
DEI ban passes Senate. See who will be impacted – The legislature advanced a second bill, SB 2515 to ban DEI programs and written materials within institutions of higher education. (Clarion Ledger) Read More
‘This is a stupid bill’: State House advances DEI ban – House Republican lawmakers advanced HB 1193 that would shutter DEI programs in all of the state’s public schools and ban certain concepts from being taught in classrooms. (Mississippi Today) Read More

Missouri

Senate education committee considers bill on some race-related curricula – The state Senate’s Committee on Education heard testimony about SB 1115that would prohibit public schools from teaching about critical race theory. (KOMU 8 News) Read More
Budget battle brewing over Gov. Kehoe’s school funding proposal – The governor didn’t include the $300 million needed to meet the higher targets set by the state’s foundation formula. (Missouri Independent) Read More
Sen. Beck says $50 million in direct state funding for school vouchers subsidizes the rich – The Senate Democratic Leader is critical of Gov. Kehoe’s $50 million request in state funding for school vouchers, alleging that they only benefit the rich. (Missourinet.com) Read More

North Carolina

What to watch in child care during the 2025 legislative session – Senate President Pro Tempore listed child care as one of the top challenges facing state legislators in this year’s long session. As federal funds propping up the child-care industry ended last year, legislators pointed to the 2025 session as an opportunity to find a long-term funding solution for parents, businesses, and child-care teachers. (EdNC) Read More
Citing Trump Order, UNC System ends DEI course requirements – North Carolina’s four-year public universities can no longer have in their general education requirements any mandated “course credits related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the University of North Carolina system’s general counsel has ordered in a memo to campus chancellors. (Inside Higher Ed) Read More

Oklahoma

House considers child-care subsidies for industry employees – HB 1849would allow child-care providers at licensed facilities to exempt household income when applying for the Child Care Subsidy Program, an attempt to incentivize new child-care workers and to help child-care providers retain current employees. (The Journal Record) Read More
Education a top priority as Oklahoma’s new legislative session starts – The governor says Oklahoma has become a top 10 state for business, and he wants to do the same for education. (KOCO 5 News) Read More
Oklahoma House, Senate advance school-board election reform – Committees in both the state House and Senate have advanced legislation that would move school board elections to the November ballot to dramatically increase voter participation. (Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs) Read More

South Carolina

Bipartisan bill seeks to tackle state’s child-care challenges – A new, bipartisan bill in the state Senate would incentivize employers to help workers with child-care availability and costs and to encourage more child-care centers to open. (WCSC News) Read More
Bill for lottery-funded private school vouchers approved by Senate – The Senate passed SB 62, which would allow school vouchers to be funded using state lottery money. (WPDE News) Read More

Tennessee

What we know – and don’t know – about how the state will roll out school vouchers – Now that Gov. Bill Lee has secured a $447 million statewide school voucher plan, many details remain before Tennessee families can apply. (Knoxville News Sentinel) Read More
Tennessee Republican bashes immigrant education bill – Tennessee Republicans are bucking for a Supreme Court showdown to end the constitutional requirement for public schools to teach every child regardless of their immigration status. (Tennessee Lookout) Read More

Texas

Texas lawmakers may ban certain lessons at state colleges under expanded DEI crackdown – Republican lawmakers plan to ensure universities are complying with a state ban on DEI offices, programs, and training that passed last session. They are expected to file legislation to limit the influence of professors. (Houston Public Media) Read More
With vouchers fast-tracked, other Texas public education issues to watch this session – From teacher pay and preparation to special education and DEI, here are the education issues Texas lawmakers are prioritizing this legislative session. (The Texas Tribune) Read More
Bill would allow parents to block students from certain school library books – A bill filed in the Texas Senate would allow parents to review materials at their child’s school and create a list of items that cannot be checked out or used by that child. (Fox 7 Austin) Read More

West Virginia

Pilot programs could help address child-care shortage – The state’s Small Business Development Center is launching pilot programs under a new project designed to reduce barriers to operating and accessing child-care services. (WV Public Broadcasting) Read More
State lawmakers say possible update to school funding formula a priority for this year – The legislature is considering a review of the state’s school funding formula. (Times West Virginian) Read More
Gov. Morrisey pushes school vouchers; lawmakers face ‘balancing act’ as counties lose public schools – State lawmakers return to the Capitol tasked with funding the state’s school voucher program. School superintendents say the program is in part to blame for shuttered public schools. (West Virginia Watch) Read More
Despite breakdowns in two states, Student First Seeks to expand – Last year, the company handling online payments for the state’s school voucher program promised not to seek additional business until it fixed technical glitches that led to a huge backlog of orders. Despite its promise to West Virginia, The 74 has learned that the Indiana-based company has been pushing to expand to states such as Tennessee. (The 74) Read More

National/Federal Updates

K-12 Education

Trump’s pick for education chief sketches a roadmap for dismantling the department – In her first confirmation hearing, U.S. secretary of education nominee Linda McMahon sketched out how key functions of the federal Education Department could be carved up to achieve President Trump’s goal of dismantling the agency, vowing to “reorient” the department while continuing some of its largest programs. (WRAL News) Read More
In the wild west of school voucher expansions, states rely on untested companies, with mixed results – States are handing multimillion-dollar contracts to a handful of fledgling private companies to manage the rapidly growing, convoluted marketplace of school-choice programs. The process has been bumpy. (ProPublica) Read More

Higher Education

States should invest in postsecondary child-care grants – A handful of states are stepping up to support the child-care needs of student parents through postsecondary child-care grants, smoothing the path to degree completion. (New America) Read More
Education Department employees placed on paid leave as part of Trump administration’s DEI purge – Dozens of employees at the Education Department were placed on paid administrative leave Friday as part of the Trump administration’s larger effort to rid the federal workforce of employees associated with DEI efforts, sources familiar with the move told CNN. (WSVN News) Read More

Howard University receives ‘Research One’ Carnegie Classification indicating highest level of research production – The American Council of Education today announced that Howard University has been conferred a Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification. Howard is the first HBCU to hold the R1 designation. (The Dig – Howard University) Read More

Education Research and Advocacy Resources

Early Childhood Education

New brief offers recommendations to strengthen CDCTC, DCAP, 45F, and more – The Children’s Equity Project has released a brief with multiple recommendations for how the U.S. tax code can be updated to better meet the needs of families. (First Five Years Fund) Read More

K-12 Education

Frequently asked questions about the U.S. Department of Education – The U.S. Department of Education provides vital resources to schools, students, and families across the country to ensure everyone has access to a high-quality education. To clarify the role of the federal agency, the Center for American Progress has compiled answers to the following frequently asked questions. (Center for American Progress) Read More
Trump 2.0 Federal Revenue Tool – If the Trump Administration follows through on threats to cut federal money for public education, states could lose significant funding. This tool provides projected revenue losses in each state by federal funding source. (Education Law Center) Read More
Protect Public Education – This website will highlight the damaging effects of the Trump administration’s education policies, specifically around cutting federal funding for education and dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. (Protect Public Education) Read More
Funding Student Needs A Review of State Funding Policies for English Learners and Students From Low-Income Backgrounds – Addressing the needs of all student groups is paramount for ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities and fostering high academic success for all students. Among the student groups that may require such additional support are English learners and students from low-income backgrounds. (Learning Policy Institute) Read More
What Can California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Teach Us About How to Diversify the Teacher Workforce? – The diversity of the teacher workforce is slowing down compared to the diversity of adults with college degrees. Yet California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., stand out for bucking the trend. (National Council on Teacher Quality) Read More

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Review the archive of past updates:

Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America