Category: News

Federal “Skinny Budget” for FY 2026 Released, IDEA to be Moved out of USDE (May 2, 2025)

On May 2, 2025, Office of Budget Management (OMB) Director Russell Vaught sent a letter to Appropriations Committee Chair Senator Susan Collins providing her with President Trump’s recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The “Skinny Budget” provided is in advance of the President’s full fiscal plan. According to the documents shared, it is clear the president’s budget moves IDEA out of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

On the same day, U.S. Ed. Sec. Linda McMahon released a USDE press release in support of the budget. In the release she said, “The President’s Skinny Budget reflects funding levels for an agency that is responsibly winding down…and thoughtfully preparing a plan to delegate other critical functions to more appropriate entities.” Click here to view the release.

Click to view the skinny budget on the OMB website at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/budget/the-presidents-fy-2026-discretionary-budget-request/.

PDE Invests $10.35M to Expand Access to CTE, Strengthening PA’s Workforce for the Future (May 1, 2025)

On April 30, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced $10.35 million in PAsmart Advancing Grants for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that expand access to computer science and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for learners across the Commonwealth.

These grants – to 55 organizations in 29 counties — support high-quality STEM and computer science learning and professional development opportunities in communities across Pennsylvania. 

Over his first two budgets, Governor Shapiro has increased funding for vo-tech, career and technical education (CTE), and apprenticeships by nearly $65 million, which is 50 percent more than the day he took office. Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal builds on that progress and creates more opportunity for Pennsylvania students with another $5.5 million increase for CTE programs. On his first full day in office, the Governor signed Executive Order 2023-03, which eliminated the college degree requirement for 92 percent of state government jobs. 

The Center for Workforce Information and Analysis at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has projected that by 2028, there will be about 157,000 more occupations in Pennsylvania that require mathematics knowledge (representing 65 percent of all employment in the commonwealth), and about 125,000 more occupations that require knowledge in computers and electronics (representing 54 percent of all employment).

These grants reinforce the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring that students gain the skills, credentials, and real-world experience necessary to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market through funding support for innovative partnerships, cutting-edge training, and expanded learning opportunities that prepare students for high-demand careers in fields such as electric vehicle technology, engineering, artificial intelligence, and health care.

Institutions that received $450,000 or $400,000 grants have planned innovative projects to expand access to CTE computer science and STEM experiences for both students and adults. Grants of $75,000 will support collaboration between schools and a local or regional CTE provider, or will help communities design and plan local and/or regional approaches to expanding CTE education in STEM and computer science.

The following organizations received CTE grants:

SOUTHEAST REGION

  • School District of Philadelphia – Philadelphia, $450,000
  • Allentown School District – Lehigh County, $450,000
  • Eastern Center for Arts and Technology – Montgomery County, $450,000
  • Lincoln University – Chester County, $450,000
  • Alvernia University – Berks County, $450,000
  • Bucks County Intermediate Unit – Bucks County, $450,000
  • Brandywine Heights Area School District – Berks County, $75,000
  • Fleetwood Area School District – Berks County, $75,000
  • DeSales University – Lehigh County, $75,000
  • Easton Area School District – Northampton County, $75,000
  • Lehigh Career & Technical Institute – Lehigh County, $75,000
  • Mastery Charter School, Lenfest Campus – Philadelphia, $75,000
  • North Montco Technical Career Center – Montgomery County, $75,000
  • Oley Valley School District – Berks County, $75,000
  • Saint Joseph’s University – Philadelphia, $75,000
  • YWCA Tri-County Area – Montgomery County, $75,000

SOUTHWEST REGION

  • Gateway School District – Allegheny County, $450,000
  • Peters Township School District – Washington County, $400,000
  • Allegheny Intermediate Unit – Allegheny County, $450,000
  • Admiral Peary Area Vocational-Technical School – Cambria County, $450,000
  • Passport Academy Charter School – Allegheny County, $450,000
  • Point Park University – Allegheny County, $450,000
  • Appalachia Intermediate Unit – Blair County, $450,000
  • ARIN Intermediate Unit – Indiana County, $75,000
  • Armstrong School District – Armstrong County, $75,000
  • California Area School District – Washington County, $75,000
  • Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center – Westmoreland County, $75,000
  • Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center – Cambria County, $75,000
  • Northern Westmoreland Northern Westmoreland CTC – Westmoreland County, $75,000
  • Northgate School District – Allegheny County, $75,000
  • Windber Area School District – Somerset County, $75,000
  • Duquesne City School District – Allegheny County, $75,000
  • Penn Hills School District – Allegheny County, $75,000
  • Sto-Rox School District – Allegheny County, $75,000

CENTRAL REGION

  • Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit – Northumberland County, $450,000
  • DuBois Area School District – Clearfield County, $450,000
  • Bedford County Technical Center – Bedford County, $75,000
  • Eastern York School District – York County, $75,000
  • Franklin County Career & Technology Center – Franklin County, $75,000
  • Northeastern York School District – York County, $75,000
  • Susquenita School District – Perry County, $75,000
  • Waynesboro Area School District – Franklin County, $75,000
  • Harrisburg School District – Dauphin County, $75,000
  • Steelton-Highspire School District – Dauphin County, $75,000
  • School District of the City of York – York County, $75,000

NORTHEAST REGION

  • Berwick Area School District — Columbia County, $75,000
  • Luzerne Intermediate Unit – Luzerne County, $75,000
  • Mahanoy Area School District – Schuylkill County, $75,000
  • Old Forge School District – Lackawanna County, $75,000
  • Wallenpaupack Area School District – Pike County, $75,000
  • Scranton School District – Lackawanna County, $75,000

NORTHWEST REGION

  • Mercyhurst University – Erie County, $400,000
  • Allegheny-Clarion Valley SD – Clarion County, $400,000
  • Erie County Technical School – Erie County, $75,000
  • Warren County School District – Warren County, $75,000

BSE Sends Sp. Ed. Plan Requirements to LEAs – Identification of Students with SLD using RtI (April 29, 2025)

The PA Bureau of Special Education (BSE) has revised the application process for utilizing Response to Intervention (RTI) to identify students with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Initial applications for school districts and charter schools may be submitted on an on-going basis. There is no deadline for submission.

The revised process requires school districts and charter schools to submit the BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool as the application to PDE. The BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool will be used school-wide or for building levels (e.g., elementary, middle, and/or high school). Additional information and the BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool are available on the PaTTAN website.

School districts and charter schools must partner with their local intermediate unit and/or respective PaTTAN Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) lead consultant to conduct a comprehensive review using the BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool and to receive assistance with the process.

School districts and charter schools must partner with their local intermediate unit and/or respective PaTTAN Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) lead consultant to conduct a comprehensive review using the BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool and to receive assistance with the process.

Please contact PaTTAN MTSS designees below for support:

Upon review of all documentation, the BSE will issue a letter indicating the application is approved, disapproved, or requires revision.

For school districts and charter schools currently approved to implement RTI for SLD Determination, please continue to use the BSE Approved RTI/SLD Fidelity Tool for internal assessment and improvement.

Additionally, school districts and charter schools are required to outline use of RTI for SLD Determination as part of the required submission for the district comprehensive special education plan and charter school annual report assurances within the Future Ready Comprehensive Planning Portal.

Questions related to this message may be directed to Shannon Eye, Special Education Adviser, at 717-829-5113 or [email protected].

IDEA Part C Services Face Possible Budget Cuts (April 28, 2025)

The Part C early intervention program is stable for now, but advocates and researchers are worried about potential cuts to Medicaid and appropriations. The Part C program that supports infants and toddlers with developmental delays and their families could face significant fiscal pressures due to the Trump administration’s overall efforts to reduce the size and budget of the federal government. 

While no specific cuts to the Part C program have been announced yet, Congress will be contemplating proposals to whittle down annual allocations and a possible reduction to Medicaid payments — both of which help prop up early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Part C program served 462,847 children ages 2 and younger in 2023. That’s a 4.8% increase over 2022, according to an analysis by The Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities. IDEA’s Part B program served 7.9 million children ages 3-21 in 2023. 

States voluntarily participate in Part C because the federal government does not permanently authorize it. Currently, all states participate in the Part C program.

Perhaps the biggest threat to Part C is potential cuts to Medicaid. Federal and state Medicaid contributions were the third-largest funding source for Part C at $683 million in 2023, according to research from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

To view the original article from K-12 Dive, click here.

New COPPA Rule to take effect in June (April 28, 2025)

As reported by K-12 Dive, updates to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) are to take effect on June 23, but companies have until April 22, 2026, to fully comply, according to the amended final rule published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) earlier this week.

Though COPPA itself does not explicitly mention schools, the updated rule will impact how K-12 leaders interact with ed tech companies, according to student data privacy experts.

One of the key changes in the latest COPPA Rule is that companies must obtain parental consent before using children’s data for targeted advertising or disclosing their information to third parties, according to the April 22 notice published in the Federal Register. However, school districts are still allowed to give consent to ed tech companies in lieu of parental consent as long as that data is solely used for educational purposes and not commercially. 

Schools should expect to see more transparency from ed tech companies, given that they are required under the new COPPA Rule to provide a direct notice to parents — or in this case school districts — about how they plan to collect and use children’s data upon receiving consent.

The new rule also states that companies must put limits on retaining children’s data and cannot hold onto it indefinitely.

View the original article from K-12 Dive.