Education Across the States

The legislature's expanded performance audit of New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account program cannot proceed until its private contractor, the Children's Scholarship Fund, agrees to hand over records — plus what the Justice Department's Olmstead shift does and does not change for IEP transition planning, and the annual restraint and seclusion report due November 1.

Sources:

- InDepthNH reporting (October 2026) on the Children's Scholarship Fund holding up the expanded EFA performance audit — search indepthnh.org for 'performance audit' and 'Children's Scholarship Fund'

- NH School Scoop Podcast, October 28, 2026 (topic lead only): https://nhschoolscoop.substack.com/p/nh-school-scoop-podcast-october-28

- The American Star News, 'New Hampshire Republicans Push for Stricter Oversight as Education Freedom Account Enrollment Tops 10,000' (May 2026 audit expansion to residency and educational attainment; 10,510 students; $4,911 average): https://theamericanstarnews.com/new-hampshire-republicans-push-for-stricter-oversight-as-education-freedom-account-enrollment-tops-10000/

- New Hampshire Bulletin via Business NH Magazine, 'Department of Education Blocks Key Data in Audit of Education Freedom Accounts' (HB 1135 audit history and the data-ownership dispute): https://www.businessnhmagazine.com/article/department-of-education-blocks-key-data-in-audit-of-education-freedom-accounts

- Children's Scholarship Fund NH, live EFA dashboard announcement (12,500 cap filled for 2026-27; waitlist; annual independent financial audit): https://nh.scholarshipfund.org/childrens-scholarship-fund-launches-live-efa-dashboard-expanding-public-access-to-program-data/

- Education Week, 'How New Federal Guidance on Disability Could Impact K-12 Special Education' (October 14, 2026; Meghan Burke, Vanderbilt University): https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-new-federal-guidance-on-disability-could-impact-k-12-special-education/2026/10

- The Catholic Spirit, 'Catholic groups raise alarm about DOJ guidance on institutionalizing persons with disabilities' (October 14, 2026 letter to Congress): https://www.thecatholicspirit.com/news/nation-and-world/catholic-groups-raise-alarm-about-doj-guidance-on-institutionalizing-persons-with-disabilities/

- RSA 126-U:8, II (annual November 1 restraint and seclusion report): http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/x/126-u/126-u-mrg.htm

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The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, meeting in Williamsburg on October 27, voted to send the Student Literacy Act regulations out for public comment and previewed graduation regulations that would require every high school to offer MassCore and MyCAP — plus Essex Tech's November 1 admissions-policy deadline after the state ordered offers to 57 applicants. Sources: Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Public Policy Report on the October 2026 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting (masc.org — search 'Public Policy Reports October 2026 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education'); Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Board Documents, October 2026 regular meeting, Williamsburg, October 27, 2026 (doe.mass.edu — search 'BESE Board Documents October 2026'), including proposed 603 CMR 58.00 and amendments to 603 CMR 7.00, 28.00, and 55.00; State House News Service, 'State previews new graduation framework,' October 27, 2026 (statehousenews.com); Peabody Weekly News / The Daily Item, 'Essex Tech to revisit admissions formula,' October 27, 2026 (peabodyweeklynews.com).

AI Generated

Clark County's zoning commission adds new attendance scenarios for the future Joyce Woodhouse Elementary and six high schools, trustees face a purchasing total that leaves out exactly one million dollars tomorrow night, Nevada's English Learner Advisory Council weighs a four hundred sixty thousand dollar endorsement scholarship bill draft, and early voting in school board races ends Friday.

Sources:

- CCSD adds Woodhouse and high-school zoning options before October 27 review (W4NEWS, reporting the October 27, 2026 AZAC agenda, E1 Scenario 3 dated October 14, 2026, H2 Scenario 2 dated October 13, 2026, and CCSD Regulation R-7111): https://w4news.org/ccsd-woodhouse-high-school-new-zone-scenarios-october-27-2026/

- CCSD Names Skye Canyon School for Joyce Woodhouse (News In Las Vegas, October 9, 2026, summarizing Las Vegas Sun reporting on the naming vote, cost, capacity, and August 2027 opening): https://newsinlasvegas.com/news/ccsd-skye-canyon-school-joyce-woodhouse-elementary/

- CCSD purchasing vote needs clear totals for contracts and $1 million reimbursement (W4NEWS, reporting the October 29, 2026 CCSD agenda and References 3.09-3.11): https://w4news.org/ccsd-purchasing-awards-athens-amount-reconciliation-october-29-2026/

- Nevada English Learner Council weighs $460,000 scholarship request and graduation-plan changes (W4NEWS, reporting the October 26, 2026 English Learner Advisory Council agenda, seven-page bill-draft request, and October 12, 2026 draft minutes; NDE meeting materials at doe.nv.gov, Boards, Commissions and Councils, English Learner Advisory Council, 2026 meeting information): https://w4news.org/nevada-english-learner-bill-draft-scholarships-october-26-2026/

- Who Is My CCSD Board Trustee? 2026 Districts, Candidates, and How to Find Yours (CCSD Insider, from Clark County's official All Contests and Candidates list for the November 3, 2026 general election, read October 26, 2026; early voting October 17-30, 2026, Election Day November 3, 2026, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.): https://ccsdinsider.com/articles/who-is-my-ccsd-board-trustee-2026

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Georgia's Promise Scholarship opens its last application window of 2026 on November 1 — up to $6,500 a year for families leaving the state's lowest-performing public schools — and for a child with a disability, the decision trades an enforceable IEP and FAPE rights for a flexible account. This deep dive covers the program's design, its year-two record, the Promise-versus-Special-Needs-Scholarship fork, the pending DeKalb County lawsuit, and the December reports that will judge it.

Sources:

- Georgia Promise Scholarship — official program site, eligibility, FAQ, and Family Handbook (Georgia Education Savings Authority): https://mygeorgiapromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Family-Handbook_Updated-1.8.26.pdf — also verify current rules at mygeorgiapromise.org (search: My Georgia Promise eligibility November 2026)

- Georgia Promise Scholarship Program Regulations (approved May 2026): https://mygeorgiapromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Georgia-Promise-Scholarship-Program-Regulations-Approved-May-2026.pdf

- Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (2024): https://gov.Georgia.gov/document/2024-signed-legislation/sb-233/download

- Demand rises in second year of Georgia school voucher program — The Current GA, September 30, 2026 (GESA recipient and spending figures): https://thecurrentga.org/2026/09/30/demand-rises-in-second-year-of-georgia-school-voucher-program/

- Literacy or Promise Scholarships? Georgia Doesn't Have to Choose — Georgia Policy Foundation, October 2026 (budget figures, application count): https://www.georgiapolicy.org/news/literacy-or-promise-scholarships-georgia-doesnt-have-to-choose/

- Georgia Promise Scholarship (SB 233): Questions and Answers — Georgia Center for Opportunity: https://foropportunity.org/georgia-promise-scholarship-act-sb-233-questions-and-answers/

- Lawsuit Could Test the Future of Georgia's Promise Scholarship Program — The EDU Ledger, September 2026: https://www.theeduledger.com/students/article/15834022/lawsuit-could-test-the-future-of-georgias-promise-scholarship-program

- When federal and state laws differ: private schools and the IDEA — Kappan (parentally placed students and FAPE): https://kappanonline.org/underwood-private-schools-idea-special-education-services/

- SB 10 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship — Fayette County Public Schools (GaDOE rules summary): https://www.fcboe.org/departments/exceptional-childrens-services/sb10-georgia-special-needs-school-choice-scholarship — also verify at gadoe.org (search: Georgia Special Needs Scholarship calculator)

- State assessment participation for SB 10 / SB 233 scholarship students — Richmond County guidance (eight-week request rule): https://ga01903614.schoolwires.net/Page/94868

AI Generated

On November 3, Idaho voters decide more than $307 million in school levies — and not one bond — as supplemental levies that once paid for extras now pay salaries and special education: the $100 million state reimbursement gap, Genesee's $216,000 special education line, Hansen's largest-in-the-levy special services allocation, Coeur d'Alene's quarter-of-the-budget lifeline, the high-needs fund shrinking from $5 million to $1.7 million, Moscow's $65.6 million plant-facilities workaround, and West Ada's November 9 McMillan closure decision.

Sources:

- Idaho Education News, 'Feeling the pinch: Districts get creative with ballot measures' (October 27, 2026): https://www.idahoednews.org/news/feeling-the-pinch-districts-get-creative-with-ballot-measures/

- Idaho Education News, 'McMillan Elementary's declining enrollment prompts decommission vote in November' (October 27, 2026): https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/mcmillan-elementarys-declining-enrollment-prompts-decommission-vote-in-november/

- Idaho Education News, 'Moscow's unusual school levy draws support, skepticism' (October 15, 2026): https://www.idahoednews.org/news/moscows-unusual-school-levy-draws-support-skepticism/

- Idaho Education News, 'High-needs program faces spending reduction, as Critchfield focuses on K-12 funding formula' (September 2026): https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/critchfield-requests-high-needs-budget-cut-focuses-instead-on-k-12-funding-formula/

- Idaho Education News, 'I didn't want to compete with myself: Critchfield says budget request focuses on one priority' (September 2026): https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/i-didnt-want-to-compete-with-myself-critchfield-says-budget-request-focuses-on-one-priority/

To verify anything without a stable URL: on idahoednews.org, search 'Districts will ask voters for more than $307 million in November' for the district-by-district November 3 levy list (31 supplemental levies, about $208 million; five plant-facilities levies, more than $98 million); on the Hansen School District site and in local Magic Valley briefing reporting for October 21, 2026, verify the Hansen supplemental levy ($290,000 per year for two years, $90,000 to special services, $121.57 per $100,000 estimated ballot cost); Idaho special education duties are in the Idaho Special Education Manual, incorporated by reference at IDAPA 08.02.03.004, via the Idaho State Board of Education site.

AI Generated

Nebraska rehearsed a ransomware attack on its own schools in a first-of-its-kind statewide tabletop exercise, and six days before the election the November 3 school bond map grew to at least $218 million across six districts, led by South Sioux City's $95 million second try.

Sources:

- Nebraska Department of Education news release, Cyber Attack Exercise Helps Prepare Nebraska Schools, October 26, 2026: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/952382196/cyber-attack-exercise-helps-prepare-nebraska-schools

- South Sioux City Community Schools, 2026 Bond Referendum (election November 3, 2026; up to $95 million; no tax levy increase): https://www.supportus.info/south-sioux-city

- Dakota County Star, City blesses School bond (South Sioux City $95 million proposal; earlier $127 million proposal voted down): https://dakcostar.com/stories/city-blesses-school-bond,92978

- Nemaha County Herald / anewspaper.net, Nebraska 2026 Election Ballot (Auburn Public Schools bond up to $22,900,000; Johnson County Central Public Schools bond up to $35,000,000): https://www.anewspaper.net/article/2522,johnson-nemaha-county-candidates-on-november-3-ballot

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Illinois replaces its ranked school accountability system with the new Profiles of Performance — how the first Report Card under the model, released October 30, 2026, builds each school designation from core, elevating, and student-group indicators, and what it means for students with disabilities.

Sources:

- ISBE, An Overview of Profiles of Performance (Oct 2026): https://www.isbe.net/Documents/2026-An-Overview-of-Profiles-of-Performance.pdf

- ISBE, Building a Profile of Performance — thresholds (Oct 2026): https://www.isbe.net/Documents/2026-Building-a-Profile-of-Performance.pdf

- ISBE, Why Profiles of Performance (Oct 2026): https://www.isbe.net/Documents/2026-Why-Profiles-of-Performance.pdf

- ISBE, Know What to Expect — 2026 Report Card calendar (Oct 2026): https://www.isbe.net/Documents/2026-Know-What-to-Expect.pdf

- ISBE Board meeting item, April 15, 2026 — Approval of ESSA State Plan Amendment 5 to redesign the accountability system (search go.boarddocs.com Illinois State Board of Education April 15 2026 ESSA Amendment 5)

- ISBE, ESSA Amendment 5 Executive Summary (search isbe.net for ESSA Amendment 5 Executive Summary April 2026)

- Capitol News Illinois via Capitol City Now, Illinois school report card continues to show wide achievement gaps (2025 Report Card: 52.4% ELA, 38.4% math proficiency; Tony Sanders quote): https://capitolcitynow.com/news/248842-illinois-school-report-card-continues-to-show-wide-achievement-gaps/

- Advance Illinois, Statement on the 2025 Illinois Report Card (students with IEPs lowest proficiency of any group): https://advanceillinois.squarespace.com/news-media/statements/2025-illinois-report-card

- Dynamic Learning Maps, Illinois alternate assessment windows 2025-26: https://dynamiclearningmaps.org/illinois

- Illinois Report Card (live Oct 30, 2026, 9 a.m.): search IllinoisReportCard.com or isbe.net Report Card page

AI Generated

Kansas documented 361 special education teacher vacancies across 52 agencies in spring 2026. This deep dive examines the $4,513,487 federal apprenticeship grant KSDE announced October 1, 2026 (291 apprentices over five years), why special education vacancies persist while overall teacher vacancies fell 28 percent, the 92 percent funding fight underneath the shortage and the January 11, 2027 task force deadline, and the Kansas School for the Deaf superintendent search whose community survey closes October 30, 2026 — with practical takeaways for families, paraeducators, districts, and boards.

Sources:

Kansas State Department of Education, news release, Oct 1, 2026, Kansas receives $4.51 million to expand special education teacher apprenticeships (grant total $4,513,487; first-year $846,831; 361 vacancies across 52 LEAs; 291 apprentices; Commissioner Dr. Jake Steel; Shane Carter, director of teacher licensure): https://www.ksde.gov/news-center/news-releases/2026/10/01/kansas-receives--4.51-million-to-expand-special-education-teacher-apprenticeships

KCLY Radio, Oct 1, 2026, Kansas Gets Federal Grant to Expand Special Education Teacher Apprenticeships: https://kclyradio.com/blog/kansas-gets-federal-grant-to-expand-special-education-teacher-apprenticeships/

KCLY Radio, Oct 22, 2026, Kansas Students Show Improvement in Reading and Math Scores (2026 KAP results; chronic absenteeism 17.8%; teacher vacancies 2,204 to 1,588): https://kclyradio.com/blog/kansas-students-show-improvement-in-reading-and-math-scores/

Aligned, October 2026 Kansas-Missouri policy update (KSDE draft 2025-26 annual report What Matters Most; ELA 45.9%, math 41.0%): https://wearealigned.org/october-2026-kansas-missouri-education-policy-update/

Innivee Strategies, Oct 22, 2026, Kansas School for the Deaf and Innivee Strategies Announce National Search for Next Superintendent (Barron retirement June 2026; interims Allen and Macy; posting before end of 2026; start July 1, 2027): https://inniveestrategies.com/kansas-school-for-the-deaf-and-innivee-strategies-announce-national-search-for-next-superintendent/

Kansas Reflector via KCN Online, June 4, 2026, School Task Force Wrangles Over Data (Roza/Edunomics; Greenfield; McDonald; Fliter; Neuenswander; Erickson): https://www.kcnonline.com/wp/2026/06/04/school-task-force-wrangles-over-data/

Emporia USD 253, Message From the Superintendent, Oct 20, 2026 (state funding around 60 percent vs 92 percent statute; almost $3M local transfer): https://walnut.usd253.org/school-office/news/post

Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education summary of the Education Funding Task Force (report due on or before January 11, 2027; KSEEA expires July 1, 2027): https://www.kac.org/the_education_funding_task_force_and_the_next_school_finance_formula

K-12 Dive, Oct 2026, Kansas Olathe Public Schools to close 6 schools next fall (special education transfer pressure; 6,100-signature petition): https://www.k12dive.com/news/kansas-olathe-public-schools-to-close-6-schools-next-fall/832277/

Citizen Portal, Oct 13, 2026, Wichita reports improved hiring numbers and new retention supports but flags special-education vacancies (319 hires; 8.1 percent turnover): https://citizenportal.ai/articles/11028222/kansas/school-boards/wichita/wichita-reports-improved-hiring-numbers-and-new-retention-supports-but-flags-specialeducation-vacancies

AI Generated

Vermont's 18 merger committees are meeting, but the Agency of Education's own timeline leaves the financial modeling tools undated, the evaluation framework unfinished until December, and Group 7 deadlocked over proportional representation — Springfield holds 42.8% of its group's students, Athens and Grafton 1.7%. Plus the Winooski Valley CESA's organizational agenda, Monday's minimum class size committee, and Tuesday's graduation standards session. Sources: Vermont School Consolidation Progress Update, October 26, 2026, Downs Rachlin Martin Government Affairs Group (drm.com), reporting Agency of Education materials, the Lead Facilitator timeline reported by the Chester Telegraph on October 21, 2026, Group 7 merger committee records, and the Winooski Valley CESA October 26 agenda; Vermont Agency of Education, Weekly Field Memo, October 22, 2026, and updated minimum class size implementation guidance, October 15, 2026 (education.vermont.gov); Vermont State Board of Education Minimum Class Size Implementation Committee (October 26, 2026) and Student Performance Standards Committee (October 27, 2026) agendas and materials (education.vermont.gov). To verify the consolidation timeline, search drm.com for Vermont School Consolidation Progress Update 10.26.2026.

AI Generated

The University of Providence votes to close after nearly 95 years in Great Falls — what happens to its 430 students, its employees, and its campus — plus Great Falls Public Schools hiring today and Terry voters deciding a $1.5 million school bond on November 3.

Sources:

- University of Providence, "University of Providence Announces Closure at the Conclusion of the 2026–2027 Academic Year" (official announcement, Oct. 27, 2026): https://www.uprovidence.edu/about/news/university-of-providence-announces-closure-at-the-conclusion-of-the-2026-2027-academic-year/

- Montana Television Network / Montana Sports, "Amid closure plans, Providence athletics to compete through academic year" (Oct. 27, 2026): https://www.montanasports.com/news/university-of-providence-to-cease-operations-after-end-of-2026-2027-academic-year

- Montana University System Providence student transition page: https://mus.edu/providence (search mus.edu for "Providence" if the page moves)

- Great Falls Public Schools job fair, Oct. 28, 2026, Paris Gibson Education Center — reported by 107.5 The Peak (Townsquare Media, Great Falls): https://1075thepeak.com/ixp/1107/p/great-falls-schools-job-fair-october/

- Terry K-12 School District No. 5, Notice of Bond Election (board resolution Aug. 10, 2026; election Nov. 3, 2026): https://terryschools.org/s/ElectionNotice.pdf

- Terry Tribune, "Terry school officials outline $1.5 million bond proposal ahead of Nov. 2 vote" (Oct. 2026; the district's official notice sets the election for Nov. 3, 2026): https://www.terrytribune.com/news/terry-school-officials-outline-1-5-million-bond-proposal-ahead-of-nov-2-vote/article_89115e15-e9b4-4d89-b48b-e5cf57ebf9a0.html

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