Because of the difficulties with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, West Virginia’s high school FAFSA completion rate is down almost 40%, compelling West Virginia Governor Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency. As a result, the governor has temporarily suspended a requirement for high…
During a May 7th House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona requested a 16% increase in funding to allow the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to add more staff to expediently resolve Title VI civil rights complaints it receives. In fact, as the civil…
On April 8, 2024, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a federal rule to ensure web content and mobile apps are accessible for people with disabilities. The update to regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were subsequently published on April 24th by the U.S. Department…
Predictably, attorneys general from six Republican-leaning states (i.e., Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) filed suit on April 20, 2024 against the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) over its new Title IX rule, which was released on April 19, 2024. The lawsuit comes on the heels of three…
With the April 19, 2024 release of the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) final Title IX rule enshrining protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, conservative state leaders, claiming the rule infringes on their state laws, are directing their school districts to disregard the rule. In fact, thus far at least five states…
On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its final rule updating nutrition standards for school meals that requires gradual limits on added sugars and slight reductions for sodium for breakfasts and lunches to be in place by the fall of 2027. The new school meal nutrition standards are…
Alongside the Title IX final rule that enshrines protections for LGBTQI+ students and employees, as well as pregnant students and employees, under the civil rights law that prevents sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, the USDE provided schools with a resource for drafting Title IX grievance procedures and policies that comply…
As advocates across the country are calling, with increasing urgency, for a concerted effort from all stakeholders to assist students and families with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the White House and US Department of Education (USDE) have announced this week the FAFSA Week of Action…
From K-12 Dive Today, April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) issued its long-awaited Title IX rule, which for the first time enshrines protections for LGBTQI+ students and employees, as well as pregnant students and employees,under the civil rights law that prevents sex-based discrimination in federally funded education…
Concerns over negative impacts to students’ out-of-school public insurance benefits appear to be delaying the release of a U.S. Department of Education (USDE) final rule that is supposed to ease the process of obtaining parental consent for Medicaid school-based health services. While some worry that children’s school-based services can adversely…
