Category: News

How the Government Shutdown Affects K-12 Education (October 2, 2025)

As the government shutdown moves forward, many are wondering what impact it will have on K-12 schools. The shutdown officially commenced at midnight EST on October 1st when the new fiscal year was to begin.

Initially, the shutdown is expected to have fairly imperceptible impact on schools and school districts, but the pause in federal funding will create some noticeable disruptions for school districts and state education agencies. Some examples include pauses in Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigations, new grant making activities, and technical assistance support.

Of note is the drastic decrease in U.S. Department of Education staff, which will result in only 330 of 2,447 of its employees remaining on the job. This follows a decrease in USDE staff from 4,133 at the beginning of the year to 2,447 as of September 28th. In total, the USDE is only expected to retain 5% of its workforce during the first week of the shutdown. Those continuing to work will not be paid during that time.

School districts qualifying for Impact Aid, which is the only federal K-12 education program not forward-funded months in advance, will see a pause in receiving those funds. Similarly, the National Head Start Association (NHSA), an advocacy group that represents Head Start families and its workforce, has warned that if a shutdown continues for weeks or months, there will be a higher risk of program closures and staff furloughs, which will affect  about three-quarters of a million children.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

Applications Now Being Accepted for the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon U. (October 2, 2025)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences (PGSS) at Carnegie Mellon University is now accepting applications from talented high school juniors for the summer 2026 program. 

PGSS is an intensive, five-week summer residential program that emphasizes cooperative learning and hands-on laboratory research for high school juniors pursuing careers in science and mathematics. 

With the support of Governor Josh Shapiro, the PDE, Carnegie Mellon University and its alumni, the program offers an enrichment experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The goal of the program is to encourage Pennsylvania’s youth to pursue careers in STEM-related fields. 

Accepted applicants will receive a full scholarship to the program. Costs are underwritten through matching funds provided by PGSS Campaign, Inc., the school’s alumni, Carnegie Mellon University, parents, and corporations. 

Awarded scholarships will cover the costs of housing, meals, and all instructional materials. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the university, personal items, and spending money. Students must commit to living on campus at Carnegie Mellon University throughout the duration of the program. 

Details – Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences 
When: June 21, 2026 – July 25, 2026
Where: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 
Who May Apply: The program is open to high school juniors at time of application who attend a public, nonpublic, or private school or are homeschooled.  
Deadline to Apply: Completed applications must be emailed per instructions on the Carnegie Mellon University – Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences webpage no later than January 31, 2026.  Applications emailed after this date and time will be disqualified. 

Applications can be completed following the instructions available on the Apply to the Governor’s School for the Sciences webpage.

For additional information about the program, please visit the Governor’s School for the Sciences webpage.

FCC Vote Removes School Bus Wi-Fi, Hotspots from E-rate (October 1, 2025)

On September 30, 2025, in a 2-1 vote, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) removed both school bus Wi-Fi and internet hotspot services from eligibility for federal E-rate funds. The move means schools and libraries will no longer be able to receive discounts on these services, as allowed under an E-rate expansion approved under the Biden administration. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called for the vote to reverse the expansion earlier this month.

Noting a great need to use E-rate funds for school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots, schools and school districts requested $42.6 million to use E-rate funds for hotspots and $15.3 million for school bus Wi-Fi. Sadly, the commission’s vote now directs the Universal Service Administrative Company, which administers E-rate funds, to deny any pending funding requests for both services for FY 25, including the 2025-26 school year. It is expected that rural school districts will be especially affected by the FCC’s decision. For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

PASA and the 1% Threshold Justification Requirement for All LEAs (October 1, 2025)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to report the number of students with disabilities who exceed 1% of the total population of students participating in the alternate assessment. ESSA also requires 95% of the students, including those with disabilities, participate in statewide assessments. Additionally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to report the performance and participation of students with disabilities in state assessment through its State Performance Plan (SPP) Annual Performance Report (APR).

To meet these regulatory requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Education (BSE) implements a tiered system of oversight and monitoring of Local Education Agencies (LEAs). This tiered system monitors the participation rates of students with disabilities in the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA).

One component of this monitoring oversight requires every LEA in the Commonwealth to submit a 1% Threshold Justification by December 1, 2025. This annual submission by every LEA for the 2025-26 school year is accessed through the PaTTAN PASA 1% webpage. 

More information about PASA, including the “2025-26 PASA Getting Ready: What Special Education Administrators Need to Know about PASA DLM Participation and 1% Compliance Requirements” slides, can be reviewed at the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) webpage or by using some of the direct links to resources below:
–Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) and the 1% Threshold Justification: Tiered System of LEA Oversight and Monitoring – this form should be used by LEAs who exceed the 1% threshold as a resource when completing their required 1% justification.
–PASA Eligibility Criteria: Decision Making Companion Tool – this resource should be used by IEP teams to consider Pennsylvania’s six eligibility criteria for students to take the PASA and document in Section IV of the student’s IEP.
–PASA Eligibility Criteria – YouTube – this resource is a brief video providing additional guidance for PASA’s six eligibility criteria.

Questions on this requirement can be directed to ra-pdespecialed@pa.gov, Lisa Hampe at lihampe@pa.gov, and/or Lisa Hauswirth at lhauswirth@pa.gov.

USCCR Issues Report on Sp. Ed. Teacher Shortage (October 1, 2025)

According to an investigation by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), a persistent shortage of special education teachers nationwide is leading to a lack of supports and services needed to help students with disabilities thrive in schools. The investigation into special educator shortages comes amid an increase in the population of students with disabilities qualifying for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. During the 2023-24 school year, there were 7.9 million IDEA-eligible students ages 3-21. The previous year, there were 7.6 million, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) analyzed by The Advocacy Institute.

Thus, on September 29, 2025 the USCCR reported the growing population of students with disabilities, combined with a lag in special education hiring, “has resulted in a dearth of special educators, thus depriving students with disabilities of their right to a free appropriate public education.” The report also found that special education teacher shortages are being caused by a myriad of factors, including both a lack of people interested in the field and retention challenges stemming from demanding workloads, administrative burdens, high student loan debt and poor working conditions.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.