State and Legislative Updates from SEF’s Government Affairs Team

The weeks of 9/14 – 9/25

Good Afternoon,

As we near the end of September, federal activity impacting education continues to unfold. Most notably, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the E-Rate Program, the primary federal resource that funds internet access for schools and libraries across the country, and is seeking public input on whether to significantly narrow the program. While the proposed changes are not final, they could have far-reaching implications for education nationwide. The public comment period remains open through October 13, 2026. Meanwhile, in response to recent Trump Administration actions aimed at eliminating certain discrimination protections, more than a dozen state attorneys general issued guidance reaffirming anti-discrimination protections within their states. Finally, Democratic senators continue to call for an investigation into U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, citing concerns over her efforts to dismantle the agency she was appointed to lead.

Below, we are highlighting a couple of resources on “school choice” that caught our eye.

  • Vouchers promise students with disabilities a path to private school. Parents say that’s not the reality – Lawmakers created voucher programs for children with disabilities as part of a strategy to pave the way for today’s much larger programs open to all students. In Florida, home to the nation’s largest voucher programs, we found that more than half of private schools say they do not serve students with any type of disability. (ProPublica) Read More
  • School choice proponents say it offers families more options, but those don’t extend to everyone – Scholars of social studies education and educational foundations examined the impact of school choice on the academic outcomes of immigrant students, primarily from low-income families. They found that school choice often leaves them behind. (The Conversation) Read More

The Latest From SEF

  • Recent announcement of our alliance to help public school students benefit from new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit – We recently announced our intention to launch an alliance of scholarship granting organizations, focused on ensuring students in public schools have meaningful opportunities to benefit from the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program. Read the full announcement here.

State Updates

Alabama

  • State commission on screen time hears recommendations on best classroom practices – A state commission heard recommendations on how to best address screen usage in classrooms. (Alabama Reflector) Read More

Arkansas

  • State auditors report $58K in Educational Freedom Account funds misspent in 2024-25 – Nineteen students enrolled full-time in a public school in the 2024-25 school year spent a total of $58,751 in Educational Freedom Account funds they weren’t supposed to use, state auditors told state lawmakers. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) Read More
  • State Department of Education Seeks $70 Million Reserve Funding for Education Freedom Accounts – The state Department of Education is seeking legislative approval to access $70 million in state reserve funding for the Education Freedom Account program during the 2026-27 school year. (KATV News) Read More

Delaware

  • Struggling Delaware schools could be taken over by DOE under draft plan – As Delaware continues to grapple with concerningly low average student test scores, the state Department of Education has drafted a plan that could see it take over low-performing schools or even hold back third-graders far behind grade level in reading and writing. (Spotlight Delaware) Read More

Florida

  • Florida public school enrollment falls as voucher program keeps growing – Florida’s traditional public school districts opened the 2026 to 2027 academic year with fewer students than they projected, and several of the state’s largest systems are now weighing school closures and consolidation. (The Florida Press) Read More
  • State education officials looking to set ground rules for AI in higher education raise questions about the future – With many Florida universities incorporating rapidly evolving AI technologies into learning, recent pushes to regulate AI use show state education officials are now looking to set ground rules. (WUSF) Read More

Georgia

  • State’s first need-based aid comes to campus this fall — but is it enough? – The state legislature just allocated millions of dollars to establish a new need-based scholarship. But experts warn that it won’t cover the cost of attendance for low-income and rural students. (Georgia Public Broadcasting) Read More
  • Photovoice captures student parents’ experiences with the state’s Childcare Access for Parenting Students (CAPS) Program. An evaluation by Child Trends on the impact of Georgia’s CAPS Program found that participating student parents see the program as essential to their success. (Child Trends) Read More

Kentucky

  • Childcare barriers are more than a workforce issue – Released during National Student Parent Month, a new report finds that childcare access and affordability remain significant barriers keeping an estimated 375,000 adult Kentuckians who are also parents from enrolling in and completing postsecondary education. (Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education) Read More

Louisiana

  • These two groups want to revamp Louisiana school funding. Neither can do it alone. – Dueling efforts are underway to reimagine how Louisiana funds public schools. One is a “top-to-bottom review” of the system Louisiana uses to distribute more than $4 billion in state money to schools each year, a task force established by the governor and legislative leaders. The second is being led by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. (Nola.com) Read More
  • St. Martin School Board remains under federal desegregation order – More than 60 years after a desegregation lawsuit was filed against the St. Martin Parish School Board, the district remains under federal court oversight as attorneys continue working through issues tied to the decades-old case. Read More

Mississippi

  • Leake County schools released from decades-long desegregation order – After more than half a century, Leake County schools have been released from a federal order that monitored and prevented racial discrimination within the district. That means a judge will no longer oversee Leake County School District to ensure Black students get equal access to a quality education. (Mississippi Today) Read More
  • State colleges open food pantries to help students meet basic needs – When University of Mississippi Medical Center administrators heard that some students were struggling to afford food and other necessities, they opened a food pantry offering groceries and personal care products. (Mississippi Today) Read More

Missouri

  • State education board declines to seek $300 million increase in school aid – The Missouri State Board of Education declined to seek the roughly $300 million increase needed to fully fund the state’s public school funding formula next year, opting instead to request lawmakers allocate the same amount schools are receiving this year. (Southeast Missourian) Read More

North Carolina

  • State ends college entrance exam called a “barrier” for would-be teachers – This fall, colleges of education across North Carolina are welcoming back students who had previously left their programs solely because they struggled to pass a standardized entrance exam. (WUNC News) Read More
  • More students than ever enroll in the state system – The University of North Carolina System surpassed 260,000 students this year, a new record. (The University of North Carolina System) Read More
  • Statewide nonprofit moves to build scholarship group for public school students – A statewide education nonprofit is setting up a new scholarship organization so that North Carolina public school students can benefit from the Trump administration’s new federal school choice tax credit. (Carolina Journal) Read More
  • New poll shows voters across party lines see childcare as workforce, affordability issue – The poll found 78% of North Carolina voters say finding and affording childcare is a crisis, with bipartisan support for more state investment. (NC Newsline) Read More

Oklahoma

  • State lawmakers urged to strengthen classroom discipline – For years, teacher pay has been cited as the chief cause of teacher shortages nationwide. But a recent survey found that 52 percent of teachers reported that managing student behavior is their top source of job-related stress, which was nearly 20 points higher than both salary and workload. (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs) Read More

South Carolina

  • State sets aside $75M for rural, charter school capital projects – Charter schools in South Carolina will soon have the ability to apply for public funds to finance school construction projects—a “game changer” for the growing sector. (The State) Read More
  • Year 3 of the state’s growing school voucher program. Data on student learning is still not available – South Carolina’s $83 million voucher program has tripled in size over three years despite no public data showing whether it’s working. (The Post and Courier) Read More
  • State zoning approved for nation’s first HBCU-authorized charter school – Plans for a historic public charter school in Columbia cleared a major regulatory hurdle after the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exception for the campus. The approval was granted at a Sept. 3 meeting and allows C.R. Neal Academy to establish a charter school across two zoning districts. (WRDW News) Read More

Texas

  • State has a new plan to better include young children with disabilities in classrooms – Federal law requires schools to educate children with disabilities alongside children without disabilities whenever appropriate. But that doesn’t always happen in preschool and childcare classrooms, and a new state plan is trying to understand why and what Texas can do about it. (KERA News) Read More
  • Voucher in hand, no school to spend it on. Thousands of students with disabilities returned state aid – Politicians promised vouchers would give students with special needs options. Some families were turned away, couldn’t make the commute, or never heard back from prospective private schools. (The Dallas Morning News – Subscription Required) Read More
  • Lawmakers examine billions in costs tied to school tax relief – Texas lawmakers are exploring ways to further cut property taxes, including Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal to eliminate school district property taxes on homeowners while keeping public schools fully funded. (Nexstar) Read More
  • State universities purge core courses as political pressure takes its toll – Public universities in Texas have dropped hundreds of courses from their core curricula — or altogether — amid rising political pressure over the last two years. (The Hill) Read More
  • State lawmakers explore path to replacing school property taxes – A state House committee is reviewing Texas’ property tax system as lawmakers prepare for more tax relief in 2027. The House Ways and Means Committee examined past relief efforts and options for further reducing property tax burdens. (Texas Scorecard) Read More
  • How Texas is trying to make college costs more transparent – Texas is one of the few states addressing this challenge at the policy level, setting standards for how the cost of attendance is presented (but not calculated) across public colleges rather than leaving the COA formatting up to each college. (The Education Trust) Read More

West Virginia

  • Lawmakers get update on teaching scholarship for high-needs subjects – The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission chancellor told lawmakers the Underwood Smith Teaching Scholarship is showing results: 82% of recipients from two graduate cohorts are now teaching in one of four high-demand fields in West Virginia. The scholarship awards $10,000 a year to students who commit to teaching in those fields. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting) Read More

National/Federal Updates

Early Childhood Education News and Resources

  • Who cares for kids when parents work nights and weekends? – About 40% of children under 6 are in care during nontraditional hours. A patchwork system, primarily of home-based providers, meets families’ needs. (The 74) Read More
  • Democrats urge RFK Jr. to scrap proposed Head Start overhaul – In a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus argued that HHS’s proposed rule would “strip the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) of more than 90 percent of its standards, likely taking away vital services from children and families.” (The Hill) Read More
  • Child Care Business Sustainability – This report explores the responses from nearly 2,000 child care business owners across five states, sharing their perceptions alongside indicators of financial resilience and risk. (First Children’s Finance) Read More
  • Childcare at a Crossroads: A State Legislative Framework for Strengthening Childcare Systems – This report reflects the work of a bipartisan group of 13 state legislators recognized for their leadership and expertise in childcare policy who were convened by the National Conference of State Legislatures to examine these issues and offer guidance to their legislative colleagues. (National Conference of State Legislatures) Read More 

K-12 Education News and Resources

  • School choice proponents say it offers families more options, but those options don’t extend to everyone – In forthcoming research, scholars of educational foundations and social studies education examined the impact of school choice on the academic outcomes of immigrant students, primarily from low-income families. They found that school choice often leaves them behind, as they struggle to succeed academically in often less-than-ideal educational environments. (The Washington Post) Read More
  • Vouchers promise students with disabilities a path to private school. Parents say that’s not the reality. – Lawmakers created disability vouchers as a stepping stone to today’s larger programs open to all students. Unlike public schools, private schools generally aren’t required to serve students with disabilities. In Florida, more than half of private schools say they serve no students with disabilities. (ProPublica) Read More
  • States double down on civil rights rules Trump has rolled back – More than a dozen state attorneys general pledged to enforce discrimination protections after the Trump administration eliminated disparate impact protections. Massachusetts, New York, California, and Maryland joined 10 other states in issuing guidance, alleging the federal government has wrongly labeled policies addressing discriminatory effects as illegal. (Bloomberg Law News – Subscription Required) Read More
  • Superintendent turnover returns to pre-pandemic levels among 500 largest districts – Superintendent turnover in the nation’s 500 largest school districts has slowed and returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to research released by ILO Group. (K-12 Dive News) Read More
  • Democratic senators ramp up calls to impeach Education Secretary Linda McMahon – Senate Democrats are ramping up calls to impeach Education Secretary Linda McMahon and for an inspector general’s investigation over her efforts to dismantle the agency she leads. (ABC News) Read More
  • Federal Communications Commission is reviewing E-Rate Program, and it has libraries concerned – The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing a federal program that helps schools and libraries afford high-speed broadband internet, raising concerns among local library officials that potential cuts could affect critical community services. (KMVT News) Read More
  • The Details Matter: A Summary of Research on School Choice Policy and Implementation – This report finds that the details of how school choice policies are designed and implemented matter for understanding their effects on students, families, and communities. (National Research on Education Access and Choice) Read More
  • The Education-to-Workforce Framework data tool – The Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework tool makes it easy to understand students’ performance and progress across geographies and over time, allowing policymakers, educators, community organizations, parents, and students to measure achievement and take action. (The Urban Institute) Read More
  • Actions to improve oversight of key federal programs and address high chronic absenteeism – The U.S. Government Accountability Office made three recommendations, including that the U.S. Department of Education resume more comprehensive Elementary and Secondary Education Act monitoring and improve the reliability of chronic absenteeism data. (U.S. Government Accountability Office) Read More

Higher Education News and Resources

    • Building the Conditions for Student Success: An Advocacy Toolkit for State Policy and Institutional Action – EdTrust created this advocacy toolkit and adaptable associated resources to protect DEI programs at colleges and universities and open more doors for college students. (The Education Trust) Read More
    • Many HBCUs thrive as other institutions struggle to enroll enough students – As many predominantly white, regional and private colleges struggle to fill seats, some historically Black colleges and universities are seeing heightened—in some cases record—interest, applications, and enrollment. (Inside Higher Ed) Read More
    • U.S. Department of Education redirects $235M in MSI funds to HBCUs, Tribal Colleges – The Education Department announced y that it is sending more than $174 million to historically Black colleges and universities and $61 million to tribal colleges. It says the “one-time” investments come from programs that generally fund Hispanic-serving and other minority-serving institutions—the same way it provided a similar boost to HBCUs and tribal colleges last year. (Inside Higher Ed) Read More

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns, and if we can assist with any government affairs or advocacy issues moving forward.

Sincerely,

Fred Jones, Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy,

fjones@southerneducation.org  

Darian Burns, Legislative and Public Policy Analyst,

dburns@southerneducation.org  

Allison Boyle, Research and Policy Specialist,

aboyle@southerneducation.org