Category: News

First Distribution of $103 Million in SUN Bucks Funding to Feed Children Over Summer Break (June 10, 2026)

On June 8, 2026, the Shapiro Administration began distributing $103 million in summer food assistance benefits for eligible children as part of the SUN Bucks program, a federally funded summer benefit that helps families have fresh food and groceries while schools are closed. As part of this first round of funding, families of approximately 860,000 children who are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks can expect to receive benefits starting this week.

SUN Bucks is a federal program that provides eligible children’s families with a SNAP-like benefit to purchase food for the summer months when school is not in session. Most eligible children will receive the benefit automatically and do not need to apply, including children who already receive free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the school year.

Benefits are issued to families in one issuance for the entire summer. Most Summer 2026 issuances will occur in June and July for children who are automatically eligible. Additional issuances above the initial $103 million in benefits will occur on a rolling basis from July through September depending on when PA DHS receives individual applications and information on eligible families from school districts.

Households that need to apply to receive a benefit for Summer 2026 can apply using the application online through August 31. Families can use the SUN Bucks Eligibility Navigator to see if they need to complete an application. Applications can be submitted anytime throughout the year, but the deadline to apply for Summer 2026 is August 31, 2026. Applications received after that date will be considered for SUN Bucks 2027 next summer.

Last summer, more than 5.6 million meals were served at 2,110 summer meal sites. Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal includes funding for universal free school breakfast for a fourth consecutive year, helping to ensure Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students continue to receive free breakfast at school, regardless of income. During the 2024-25 school year, Pennsylvania schools served nearly 93 million breakfasts to students — a 13.8 percent increase over two years.

FCC to Conduct Complete Review of E-Rate, Could Have Serious Affect on Disabled Kids (June 6, 2026)

According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr in a June 3, 2026 statement, increased screen time for students shows a need for action, including cutting back on screen time. As a result, Reuters reports that, as part of its review, the FCC is considering reforming or ending the three-decade-old E-Rate program altogether as part of its review.

However, calls to scale back screen time in schools have some organizations and education researchers urging a more restrained approach to the issue, including consideration regarding the quality and purpose of technology use, since many students with disabilities rely on assistive technology for learning, communication and health reasons. Thus, limiting screen time in schools could hinder access to devices that students with disabilities rely on for individualized services and accommodations.

In fact, according to the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, students with disabilities have difficulty accessing the assistive technology they need could run afoul of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since under IDEA qualifying students with disabilities are guaranteed access to assistive technology if their individualized education program team determines they would benefit from certain tools, devices, and technology. In addition, students with disabilities might also qualify for accommodations and services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Also, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all programs and services.

On June 25, 2026, the FCC will vote on the proposal, which will be posted for public comment on various aspects of the program.

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

For more from Reuters, click here.

USDE Faces New Suit over Cancelled PD Grants (June 5, 2026)

On June 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) was sued over its abrupt termination last year of 28 national professional development grants for teachers of English learners, which allegedly “destabilized” teacher pipelines in at least 12 states.

The USDE rescinded the grants in September 2025 due to “divisive ideology,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which filed the lawsuit alongside the National Education Association. The suit alleges that the cancellations violated the recipients’ rights under the First Amendment and other federal laws, damaged teacher certification pipelines in at least a dozen states, halted coaching and credential pathways for thousands of teachers, and deprived EL students of qualified educators. 

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Shapiro Administration Awards $4.3 Million in Grants to 54 Pennsylvania Schools Offering CTE Programs (June 5, 2026)

On June 3, 2026, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe announced $4.3 million in grants to 54 Pennsylvania schools through the Competitive Equipment Grants program to help with the purchase of new equipment for approved career and technical education (CTE) programs that prepare students for in-demand jobs. Under the Competitive Equipment Grants program, school districts and CTCs can receive grants of up to $85,000 to update or purchase equipment used in the training of students in approved career and technical education programs. The equipment must be aligned with the needs of employers, and programming must provide students with hands-on use of the equipment as part of the curriculum.

The full list of recipients can be found on PDE’s Competitive Equipment Grants page.

Letter from Senators to USDE Demand Answers over Closed Office of English Language Acquisition (June 4, 2026)

In May, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) closed the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) office to “ensure better alignment of programs” for English learners. As a result, a 22 U.S. Senators sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on June 2, 2026 demanding answers over the U.S. Department of Education’s closure of the Office of English Language Acquisition last month. In that letter, the Democratic and Independent senators said that the decision “will have devastating and lasting consequences for the education of more than five million English learner students nationwide.” 

The letter also claims that portions of the Department of Education Organization Act, which established the agency in 1979, also “require the establishment of OELA.” and that the USDE “remains statutorily responsible for administering the programs that Congress has assigned to OELA through multiple authorization and appropriations laws.” 

In their letter, the senators asked the USDE to respond within 30 days with information, including what role the Labor Department will play in administering Title III programs, what steps the USDE has taken to ensure compliance with all statutory requirements, and whether the USDE will publicly release a transition and implementation plan.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.