Category: Government Actions

PA Department of Health Confirms Two Measles-Associated Deaths (August 25, 2026)

On August 25, 2026. the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) confirmed two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania. Both individuals were unvaccinated. These mark the first deaths related to measles within the Commonwealth in 35 years.   

PDH confirmed both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, PDH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families. Protecting Pennsylvanians’ privacy is a core responsibility of DOH. PDH has confirmed 393 cases in 28 counties thus far in 2026. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious short- and long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling, with nearly 20% of people who contract measles being hospitalized. Death related to measles, though rare, occurs in one to three patients per 1,000 cases. 

Measles spreads when a person who is infected breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus remains infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after the person with infection leaves the area. 

Early symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis). The measles rash follows a few days later, starting on the head and spreading downward. Because early symptoms look similar to other respiratory viral infections, it is important to contact a health care provider early if someone has these symptoms or may have been exposed to measles. Symptoms can start 7 to 21 days after exposure. Without proper protection or supportive care, measles can be deadly. 

People who believe they were exposed to measles, and are experiencing symptoms, should contact their health care provider or call the PDH toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).

Getting vaccinated is the best protection against measles, providing 97% lifetime protection after two doses.

PA DHS Encourages Eligible Pennsylvania Families to Apply for SUN Bucks Summer Food Program Before August 31 Deadline (August 25, 2026)

The  Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is encouraging eligible families who have not yet received their 2026 SUN Bucks benefit to apply online or by paper application by August 31. The federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, also known as SUN Bucks or Summer EBT, helps eligible families afford groceries during the summer months when their children don’t have access to free and reduced-price meals at school.

So far this summer, over $131 million in SUN Bucks benefits have been distributed to roughly one million children in Pennsylvania. Families can use the Eligibility Navigator to see if their children are automatically eligible or if they need to take action to apply by the August 31 deadline. SUN Bucks provides a one-time payment for households of $120 ($40 per summer month) per eligible child. An estimated 1.2 million children in Pennsylvania qualify for this program, which is paid for with federal funds.

Online Applications can be completed using the link on the SUN Bucks website and paper applications can be submitted to local County Assistance Offices. Applications received after August 31 will be held and considered for 2027 SUN Bucks benefits that will be issued in Summer 2027.

If families already have an EBT card, SUN Bucks benefits will be automatically added to their card, if possible. Families who do not have an EBT card will receive a Summer EBT card in the mail. Replacement cards must be requested by calling the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or by visiting a County Assistance Office. Families can prevent their SUN Bucks benefit from being stolen by using the lock/unlock feature available on all EBT cards. This can be done through the ConnectEBT mobile app and client portal at www.connectebt.com.

PDE Announces $8M in Funding to Increase the Number of School Psychologists in High-Need Areas (August 24, 2026)

On August 21, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that more than $8 million in funding has been dedicated to increasing the pipeline of school psychologists and delivering mental health services to students in high-need schools across the Commonwealth through the Prioritizing Attracting, Preparing, and Retaining School Psychologists: Delivering Mental Health Services to Students in High-Need LEAs initiative. 

In its first year, the program will provide funding for up to 75 school psychology graduate interns working in schools, with plans to expand the number of supported interns each year of the grant. Eligible interns completing their placements in identified high-need school districts may receive a stipend, waived Praxis exam fees, and additional training and professional development. So far, 42 interns have been placed in 22 schools across the Commonwealth. View the list of placements on this interactive map.

The grant program will strengthen Pennsylvania’s pipeline of credentialed school psychologists by reducing financial barriers to certification, improving recruitment and placement, and increasing retention in critical, underserved settings. By addressing the systemic barriers to recruitment and retention, specifically the financial burden on interns and the geographic isolation of rural districts, the program will stabilize the provider pipeline and increase student access to early intervention and intensive mental health services.

Interns are identified by their graduate training programs based on their placements in high-need school districts across Pennsylvania. The program is funded by a federal grant from the US Department of Education, which will help the Commonwealth recruit and retain individuals from both Pennsylvania and other states, increasing the overall number of school psychologists who complete  internships here and stay in PA.

DCL Focuses the Use of Ed Tech in Classrooms (August 22, 2026)

In an August 20, 2026 Dear Colleague letter (DCL) issued by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), the agency defended technology use in classrooms, saying the use of educational technology is a separate issue from the use of recreational technology. The letter acknowledged the growing concerns from parents, educators, and policymakers on students’ screen time in schools, but said those concerns require both “thoughtful consideration” and “careful distinction.” The DCL also said the policies on screen time and technology use in schools should be made by states and local communities, noting that stakeholders’ questions should focus on whether educational technology is improving learning and student outcomes and not whether students and teachers should use technology.

Recently, school leaders and K-12 technology experts have warned against state and school district policies that simply focus on limiting or banning the amount of time students spend on screens. In fact, the Consortium for School Networking most recently released guidance that emphasizes the importance of reducing “low-value” screen use and ensuring that devices are used for clear instructional purposes. 

The USDE’s DCL is used as guidance and not as a means of federal enforcement and advises that policymaking on technology use in schools “should focus on educational value rather than screen exposure alone.”

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Report: Proposed Head Start Changes Would Adversely Affect Children (August 21, 2026)

According to a report by the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University, which included a 50-state policy analysis of state childcare licensing standards, as researchers compared states’ licensing standards to existing federal Head Start quality standards they found the quality of early care and learning programs with regard to state standards is too often not aligned with best practices and research. In fact, the report claims that proposed changes in federal standards by the Trump administration would result in most toddlers experiencing worse adult-to-child ratios and only two states would meet Head Start lead teacher qualification requirements. The report also revealed that if Head Start programs would began to follow state childcare licensing standards instead of the federal performance quality standards that have been in place for years, only five states would require Head Start centers to be accessible to children with disabilities, only about a third of states would require programs to accommodate children with disabilities in classroom activities, and there would be uneven implementation of disciplinary approaches whereby some states would  allow or not explicitly ban abusive language, rest-related punishment, physical restraint, and locked or dark-room timeouts.

The report also found that “high-quality early childhood experiences are unevenly distributed, varying based on state, program type, funding stream, and zip code.” It also avers that “State licensing answers one question: What is the minimum set of standards required so children are not in danger? By contrast, Head Start asks: What conditions produce lifelong improvements for children’s development, health, learning, and family well-being?”

For more details from K-12 Dive, click here.