As the opioid abuse crisis continues to wreak havoc and the number of overdoses are reaching historic highs, laws have been passed in Illinois, Mississippi, Oregon, and Texas that call for statewide lessons on fentanyl and drug abuse. Similar legislation is also currently under consideration in California. The push to…
As next year's deadline for American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds approaches, school districts must prepare for the impact. To that end, with roughly a year left before the September 2024 obligation deadline, The School Superintendents Association (AASA) launched its fourth American Rescue Plan (ARP) survey of school district leaders to…
Due to a record number of school shootings in 2022, and a trend for even more in 2023, schools are approaching the 2023-24 school year with a focus on school safety. As a result, school safety experts are suggesting three school safety trends will surface in 2023-24. To see what…
It is estimated that 536,400 children have lost access to Medicaid and CHIP insurance since automatic renewals ended in April. As a result, a toolkit from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) titled Medicaid and CHIP Renewals: Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Care…
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has announced that three Maryland school districts will receive about $1 million each to help address the overidentification of students of color who receive special education services. The funds will target overidentification of students of color who are classified as having intellectual and emotional…
The US Department of Education (USDE) shares information about resources that may be useful in supporting the needs of students with disabilities in particular, including tools for schools to assist students in addressing any disability-based behaviors that could otherwise interfere with their or other students' learning, or that could lead to…
In efforts to address barriers for students with disabilities, fix outdated language and align with civil rights laws the US Department of Education (USDE) is expected to publish a proposed Section 504 rule update in August 2023. According to a Spring 2023 announcement, the update is aimed at bringing clarity to…
Thursday, August 17, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET Interested Pupil Services professionals are invited to join CMS and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET for the first in a series of free webinars to assist State Medicaid…
On August 7, 2023 the U.S. Department of Eduction (USDE), in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), released the K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient to highlight cybersecurity recommendations and promising practices from states and school districts across the country. According to CISA Director Jen Easterly,…
A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools and the Virginia Department of Education that claimed the district and state violated civil rights protections for students with disabilities and their families. Specifically, the lawsuit said hearing officers presiding over disputes between districts and parents…
