Category: News in the Field

USDE Reneges on ESSER Spending Extensions (April 5, 2025)

On April 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) rescinded the liquidation of hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency pandemic funds that were previously approved for extensions for the spending. The unexpected decision notified state education leaders in a letter that said they are responsible for laying out money for the expenses before they can seek USDE reimbursement.

According to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, the spending extensions were “not justified,” and “extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.” As of late February, about $4.4 billion of $201.3 billion remained in unspent funds from the three federal relief allocations under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund approved by Congress.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

U.S. Ed. Sec. McMahon: Lack of Transparency on ‘Ideological Indoctrination’ Violates FERPA (April 5, 2025)

On March 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released a statement regarding a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) sent on the same day by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to education leaders claiming that states and school districts are violating privacy laws by “hiding critical information, such as a child’s ‘gender transition,’ from parents about their child’s mental and physical wellbeing and safety.” The letter also avers that leaders must make sure that parents are kept informed about “ideological indoctrination” in schools to remain compliant with two federal privacy laws and if schools want to continue receiving federal funds they must abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.

The USDE also said that the DCL follows reports that states and school districts are violating these privacy laws by “hiding critical information, such as a child’s ‘gender transition,’ from parents about their child’s mental and physical wellbeing and safety.”

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Grant Application for the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program, Cohort 2 Now Available (April 4, 2025)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is inviting Pennsylvania schools to join the second round of a pilot program designed to teach K-12 students about the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities. The Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program influences the overall culture and environment of schools by reducing stigma and including disability as a part of a school-wide strategic plan.

Schools can apply for up to $30,000 in grant funding to implement the curriculum over three years.

For the program’s launch in 2023-24, PDE) selected 10 schools from across the Commonwealth to implement the program over three years. In the second round, PDE will select 20 schools to join the pilot program starting this year and running through 2028.

PDE developed a toolkit to assist schools with implementation of the pilot. The toolkit resources are inclusive of all age/grade levels and include sample lesson plans, professional development offerings/opportunities, ideas for implementing a disability inclusive curriculum, disability-led organizational contacts, and other resources.

Established under state law in 2022, the program is open to all school districts, charter schools, regional charter schools, cyber charter schools, intermediate units, area career and technical schools and nonpublic schools. Any interested entity must complete an intent to apply at PA Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program, Cohort 2 Grant Application Request. Once the intent to apply is completed, the entity will receive access to the application in the eGrants system within 48 hours.

Applications will be opened March 31, 2025, and must be submitted in eGrants by 3:00 PM on Monday, May 12, 2025. Schools can implement the new curriculum beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

Questions should be directed to Tim Krushinski at [email protected] or Nichole Kopco at [email protected].

USDE Cancels Grant for Postsecondary Transition Services for Students with Disabilities (April 4, 2025)

On April 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced it was canceling a fiscal year 2025 grant application for a technical assistance center that supported postsecondary transition services for students with disabilities saying that the decision was part of a comprehensive review to ensure “competitions align with the objectives established by the Trump Administration.” The notice also stated that, “The Department is dedicated to optimizing the impact of our grant competitions on students and families, as well as enhancing the economic effectiveness of federal education funding.”

The move flies in the face of U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon testifying at her confirmation hearing that a priority of hers as education secretary would be to ensure funds for students with disabilities are not impacted.

In efforts to combat the drastic funding reductions to the USDE and a proposed transfer of special education programming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in an April 2nd letter from 23 Democratic senators to McMahon stating that such moves will cause “immense harm” to students with disabilities and that “Congress has promised to families that students with disabilities will have a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment and has specifically charged the Department of Education with making that promise real in the lives of students with disabilities.”

The letter also asks McMahon to provide information in specific questions by April 11, 2025.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Free Lead Testing and Reduction Grants for Schools and Childcare Facilities (April 3, 2025)

The Shapiro Administration is launching a free water sampling program for eligible schools and childcare facilities across Pennsylvania to test for lead in drinking water. This initiative through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is funded by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act’s Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program and is part of the Shapiro Administration’s efforts to protect children from lead exposure.

Partnering with Terraphase Engineering, the program offers no-cost water testing and, for those with elevated lead levels, grant funding to support lead reduction activities such as installing hydration stations. Eligible applicants could receive up to $3,000 per hydration station installed. It’s an easy, no-cost way to protect children’s health and make sure they’re drinking safe water.

Schools and childcare centers that meet the criteria are encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted online through the Commonwealth’s Electronic Application: Grant Details | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Enrollment is currently open and will remain so until funds are exhausted.

For more information, visit DEP’s webpage Lead Information for Schools and Child Care Facilities.