The Bottom Line

The latest education policy news from the South

May 2, 2025

Greetings,

It has been a busy few weeks across the southern region and at the federal level, with significant education activity unfolding in multiple states. After a long-fought battle, including multiple delays and a Supreme Court ruling that public funds for school vouchers were unconstitutional, the South Carolina legislature approved a school voucher program that would allow up to 15,000 students access to a $7,500 voucher to attend private schools. Though the bill will move to the governor’s desk for signature, the proposal was opposed by members of both political parties. In Alabama, the legislature delivered a package of bills to the governor that would increase public education funding by millions of dollars. And in Virginia, both chambers approved legislation that would expand higher education opportunities to incarcerated people across the state.

Amid rumored threats from the White House to ask Congress to eliminate funding for the Head Start program, the First Five Years fund highlights a new snap poll conducted by a Republican polling firm showing strong bipartisan support for the program, with 86% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans in favor of Head Start. Additionally, a 2025 National Education Association report examines educator pay and school funding for pre-K through college and demonstrates that salaries continue to lag behind inflation over the past decade.

Finally, the White House just released President Trump’s FY 2026 Discretionary Budget Request (Skinny Budget). As expected, there are unprecedented proposals to cut or eliminate critical federal spending and programs. SEF will share a full analysis of the proposed budget in the coming weeks.

We deeply value your work and commitment to improving educational outcomes for students of color and students from low-income families across the South. We hope the resources included here are both helpful and meaningful to your work. Do not hesitate to contact our team if we can ever be of assistance.

The Latest From SEF

Please check out SEF’s President and CEO’s latest Forbes article outlining the differences between civil rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Applications are now open for SEF’s 18-month Racial Equity Leadership Network (RELN) fellowship, designed to empower executive district leaders to drive systemic change, offering expert-led learning, peer collaboration, and coaching at no cost. Please apply by May 16 and reach out to racialequity@southerneducation.org if you have any questions.
SEF will participate in a webinar, Save Neighborhood Public Schools – Say No to Vouchers!, hosted by Public Funds Public Schools and the Advancement Project on Thursday, May 15, at 1 p.m. ET to share insights on how private education vouchers contribute to the closure of neighborhood public schools. Register here for the webinar.

State Updates

Alabama

State House passes $10 billion education budget – The House passed a package of education funding bills, including a nearly $10 billion 2026 Education Trust Fund budget. SB 112 allocates $9.9 billion for K-12 schools and higher education, a 6% increase over the current budget. (Alabama Reflector) Read More
State’s first class pre-K ranked best in the nation for 19 straight years – The state’s First Class Pre-K, which serves more than 24,000 children across all 67 counties in the state, was recognized as the best in the nation for the 19th year by the National Institute for Early Education Research’s in its 2024 State of Preschool report. (Alabama Political Reporter) Read More
Expansion of Alabama’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law may not pass this session – A Senate committee approved an expansion of the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Although the bill was filed early in the session, the House Education Policy committee did not approve the legislation until April 10, and just a few legislative days remain this session. (Alabama Reflector) Read More

Delaware

Department of Education announces new leadership to support funding reform efforts – Delaware Secretary of Education Cynthia Marten has chosen two experienced education leaders to help prepare for the first major overhaul of the state funding formula in more than 75 years. Secretary Marten named Denise Carter as Deputy Secretary for Strategic Initiatives and Adam Schott as Associate Secretary for Student Support. (Delaware Department of Education) Read More

Florida

Senate passes bill to ease public-to-charter school conversions, exclude teacher votes – Senators voted to advance SB 140, which would change the standard by which Florida municipalities can turn over a public school’s facilities and operations to a private education company. SB 140 also deletes a requirement that at least half of the teachers employed at a given school approve the conversion. (Florida Politics) Read More

Georgia

Georgia’s new education laws aim to boost school psychologists and literacy rates – Georgia schools are getting some changes to their education after Governor Kemp signed several education bills into law. HB 81 makes it easier for school psychologists to work across state lines, and HB 307 is designed to improve literacy rates in public schools. (WGXA News) Read More

Maryland

What’s At Stake With The Supreme Court’s LGBTQ+ Schoolbooks Case – In Mahmoud v. Taylor, six parents—both Catholic and Muslim—seek to opt their children out of classroom readings that include LGBTQ+ characters, arguing that such exposure violates their First Amendment rights. Advocates counter that simply encountering these characters does not infringe on parental rights. (TIME Magazine) Read More

Mississippi

Head Start cut would put Mississippi’s new status as early education national leader at risk – The Trump administration is considering a budget that would eliminate early education federal funding, including Head Start, a program that helps nearly 15,000 pre-K 3 and pre-K 4 children in Mississippi. (Clarion Ledger) Read More
State education leaders share mixed reactions to federal COVID-19 related funding cuts – School districts around Mississippi have had $137 million in federal emergency support funds, intended to help schools recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, rescinded. The state received approximately $1.6 billion for K-12 education through ESSER funding in 2021. (Mississippi Public Broadcasting) Read More

Missouri

Missouri governor’s school funding task force assembles slowly – Gov. Mike Kehoe vowed during his annual State of the State address in January to rewrite the public school funding formula. Almost three months later, he has yet to announce his selections for a task force charged with reviewing public school funding and recommending changes. (Missouri Independent) Read More
State Senate approves budget plan with boost for schools, child care – The Senate approved Gov. Kehoe’s request for $107 million to improve the state’s child care subsidy program after the House did not approve the extra funding. (Missouri Independent) Read More

North Carolina

Gov. Stein champions child care and early education at Smart Start Conference – Gov. Stein joined the conference to highlight his priorities for early education and, in a joint letter with Lieutenant Gov. Hunt and Superintendent Green, urged the state’s federal delegation to oppose efforts to eliminate Head Start. (Office of Governor Josh Stein) Read More

‘Nowhere to cut back’: N.C. schools struggle with budget difficulties – Getting the right amount of funding to ensure students receive a quality education is a struggle for some North Carolina school systems, who say their budget deficit shows how they fall short of having what’s needed. (Spectrum News 1) Read More

Oklahoma

House committee wants to disapprove OSDE’s proposed citizenship status rule – Authorities say some lawmakers want to disapprove a proposed Oklahoma State Department of Education rule requiring parents and students to provide citizenship status when enrolling in school. (KOCO 5 News) Read More
Bill impacting state Board of Education agendas on brink of failure – A House bill inspired by frustrations with state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ leadership of the Oklahoma State Board of Education now is at risk of failing as it approaches a crucial deadline without yet passing through its assigned Senate committee. (KGOU) Read More

Tennessee

Tennessee bill denying immigrant children right to an education defeated for year – A bill giving Tennessee public schools the right to refuse enrollment to children without legal immigration status — or the option to charge them tuition — is dead for the year after facing pushback over its fiscal impact, its constitutionality and what opponents said was its cruelty. (Tennessee Lookout) Read More
Memphis schools “takeover” bill dead until next year – The sponsor of legislation criticized as a “takeover” of Memphis Shelby County Schools confirmed Tuesday the bill is on hold until 2026. (Tennessee Lookout) Read More
Federal Education Funding in Tennessee – Proposed changes to federal and state education systems, including funding, are on the horizon, resulting from a spring 2025 federal executive order that will put states at the center of education conversations. A foundational understanding of current federal education funding streams is outlined in this memo. (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) Read More

South Carolina

School voucher bill headed to governor’s desk – SB 62, which would allow up to 15,000 K-12 students across the state to receive $7,500 vouchers for private school tuition and education expenses, is headed to the governor’s desk after the House agreed to a compromise with the Senate. The issue was a top priority for Republican leadership after the state Supreme Court struck down school vouchers last September as unconstitutional. (South Carolina Daily Gazette) Read More

Gov. Henry McMaster signs bill to abolish Charleston County constituent school boards – Gov. McMaster signed legislation abolishing Charleston County’s constituent school boards. Opponents to the bill expressed concerns that removing the constituent school boards would create a disconnect between a single district-based panel and the school district’s 50,000 students. (WCIV News) Read More

Texas

School vouchers head to Abbott’s desk to become law – The Senate voted to send legislation creating a statewide school voucher program to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law, all but concluding a contentious intraparty battle that has dominated state politics for much of the last two years. (The Texas Tribune) Read More

State lawmakers consider a bill that would increase state control over public universities – The state Senate passed SB 37, which would increase the state’s control over public Texas universities. (Texas Standard) Read More

Parents urge lawmakers for public school reforms – While school vouchers captured much of the attention during the first half of the legislative session, a parent-driven advocacy group has been laser-focused on reforming the existing government education system, which will continue to receive the vast majority of Texas’ 5.5 million students and the largest share of the state’s budget. (The Dallas Express) Read More

Virginia

Prison education bill to expand opportunities for incarcerated people – HB 2158, passed by the legislature, would expand higher education opportunities to incarcerated people across the state. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature. (Public News Service) Read More

West Virginia

Trump wants to cut Head Start. In West Virginia, it will eliminate preschool for 8,000 kids and thousands of jobs – The looming federal cuts could terminate preschool and wraparound services for 8,000 children in the state and cut 3,000 jobs. (West Virginia Watch) Read More

National/Federal Updates

Early Childhood Education News and Resources

Governors’ addresses reveal a bipartisan, nationwide commitment to early care and education – Governors’ 2025 State of the State addresses showcase the widespread impact of the child care crisis and an increasing recognition of the importance of expanded investments in the sector. (Center for American Progress) Read More
Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunities for Families in Head Start Programs – This information memorandum outlines Head Start programs’ critical role in promoting parent choice to select the early care and education providers that best meet their family’s needs for their children, and recognizes that Head Start programs serve as the foundation for school readiness by preparing young children for academic and social success. (U.S. Health Department of Health and Human Services) Read More
New poll: Support for Head Start – A new snap poll conducted by a Republican polling firm shows strong support for Head Start across the political spectrum, with 86% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans supporting Head Start. (First Five Years Fund) Read More
¡Bienvenides A La Revolución! Dr. Cynthia García Coll and the liberation of developmental science – ¡Bienvenides A La Revolución! The second paper in the Foundation for Child Development’s Scholars of Color Series explores how Dr. Cynthia García Coll redefined child development by centering culture, racism, and community strengths to advance equity and liberation in developmental science. (Foundation for Child Development) Read More
Preschool enrollment, spending hit record highs, but access and quality gaps persist – The national preschool landscape remains uncertain, according to new research from the National Institute for Early Education Research. (The 74) Read More

K-12 Education News and Resources

Trump signs orders to promote stricter school discipline, end analysis of racial disparities – President Donald Trump signed executive orders that aim to promote stricter school discipline and discourage schools from considering whether discipline policies have a greater impact on students of color. (Chalkbeat) Read More
Trump administration cuts $1 billion in school mental health grants, citing conflict of priorities – The Trump administration is moving to cancel $1 billion in school mental health grants, saying they reflect the previous administration’s priorities. (The AP News) Read More
2025 Reports: Educator Pay in America – The National Education Association’s 2025 review quantifies teacher salary, education support professional pay, and student spending in every state. The data show that salaries continue to lag woefully behind inflation over the past decade. (National Education Association) Read More
How Money Matters: Education Funding and Student Outcomes – A large and growing body of evidence shows that money, when spent equitably and effectively on key school resources, improves student outcomes and closes achievement and opportunity gaps. (Learning Policy Institute) Read More
White House opens inquiry into Chicago school program aimed at helping Black students – The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into Chicago public schools over allegations that a program aimed at improving academic outcomes among Black students violates federal law. The department has also warned that it could withhold federal funding from the district. (The Guardian) Read More
Why substantively integrated schools matter at this moment in history – This commentary argues that substantively integrated public schools offer one of the best long-term strategies for achieving this goal, for three primary reasons. (The Century Foundation) Read More
The Justice Department ended a decades-old school desegregation order. Others are expected to fall – When the Justice Department lifted a school desegregation order in Louisiana this week, officials called its continued existence a “historical wrong” and suggested that others dating to the Civil Rights Movement should be reconsidered. (Associated Press) Read More

Higher Education News and Resources

House committee votes to overhaul student aid programs – In a 21-14, party-line vote, House Education and Workforce Committee Republicans advanced draft legislation to slash billions of dollars from student aid programs to help offset the cost of legislation to enact President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. (POLITICO) Read More
White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities – The Trump Administration signed an executive order creating a White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Key priorities of the initiative are similar to previous administrations and include fostering collaboration among federal agencies, the private sector, and private philanthropy to improve HBCU capacity, pipelines with K-12 schools, and hosting an annual HBCU summit. (The White House) Read More
Adams, Kamlager-Dove Convene Roundtable to Address Black Higher Education and Strengthening HBCUs – U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, founder and co-chair of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus, and U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Congressional Black Caucus Whip, held a roundtable discussion with other representatives, HBCU leadership, students, and advocacy organizations to highlight the impacts of the Trump Administration policies on the HBCUs. (Office of U.S. Representative Alma Adams) Read More

As always, 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

Review the archive of past updates: