Education Across the States

Governor Gretchen Whitmer must decide by January 1, 2027 whether Michigan opts in to the new federal scholarship tax credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 25F — and this deep dive works through the October 22, 2026 five-governor letter to the Treasury Department, Attorney General Dana Nessel's constitutional concerns, how the credit and its scholarship granting organizations would actually work, Michigan's numbers, the cases for and against opting in, and the special education fine print: what a scholarship means for a student who stays in public school with an IEP versus a student who uses it to enroll in a private school, where federal law gives parentally placed students no individual right to the services an IEP guarantees.

Sources:

- Chalkbeat Detroit, 'Whitmer and other Dem governors seek clarity about federal tax credit program' (October 27, 2026): https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2026/10/27/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-raises-questions-about-tax-credit-program/

- Chalkbeat Detroit / Detroit Free Press, 'Michigan weighs federal scholarship tax credit: what to know about effect on public schools' (October 13, 2026): https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2026/10/13/michigan-weighs-federal-scholarship-tax-credit-program-schools/

- Citizens Research Council of Michigan, 'Will She or Won't She? Michigan Awaits Governor Whitmer's Decision on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit' (October 14, 2026, updated October 26, 2026): https://crcmich.org/will-she-or-wont-she-michigan-awaits-governor-whitmers-decision-on-the-federal-scholarship-tax-credit

- WCMU Public Media, 'Education advocates say Michigan should not opt in to federal tax credit for scholarship donations' (September 10, 2026): https://www.wcmu.org/local-regional-news/2026-09-10/education-advocates-say-michigan-should-not-opt-in-to-federal-tax-credit-for-scholarship-donations

- Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan), 'U.S. Education Secretary McMahon urges Whitmer to join federal scholarship program' (March 27, 2026): https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2026/03/27/michigan-education-secretary-linda-mcmahon-promotes-federal-tax-scholarship/

- Detroit Free Press, 'Opting Michigan into Trump education tax credit top priority for James' (September 2, 2026): https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/02/john-james-vows-to-opt-into-education-tax-credit-if-elected-governor/91576221007/

- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 'Questions and Answers on Serving Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools' (34 CFR 300.137 — no individual right to services for parentally placed students): https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/qa-parentally-placed-private-schools-12-2020.pdf

- Michigan Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint (federal IDEA funding covers approximately 12 to 13 percent of costs versus the intended 40 percent): https://autismallianceofmichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/michigan-special-education-finance-reform-blueprint.pdf

- To verify the proposed federal rules: search regulations.gov for docket REG-117199-25 (Section 25F proposed regulations, published October 2026; comments due December 1, 2026), and search the IRS site for 'Federal Scholarship Tax Credit' and 'Form 15714' for the state advance election.

- To verify the constitutional provision: search the Michigan Legislature site, legislature.mi.gov, for 'Michigan Constitution Article VIII Section 2' and read the 1970 text barring public support for nonpublic schools.

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Kentucky's 2025-26 report card, released October 15, 2026, shows reading at recent highs, graduation at 94.1 percent, and mathematics flat — while the federal targeted-support list nearly doubled, driven in region after region by the performance of students with disabilities.

Sources:

- KDE releases 2025-2026 assessment and accountability data, Kentucky Teacher (Kentucky Department of Education), October 15, 2026: https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/news/2026/10/kde-releases-2025-2026-assessment-and-accountability-data/

- KDE 2025-2026 Assessment and Accountability Datasets (Open House data files, including the CSI, TSI and ATSI school list): https://education.ky.gov:443/Open-House/data/Pages/Assessment_Accountability_Datasets_2025-2026.aspx

- Kentucky students show reading growth, lag in math in 2026 assessments, Louisville Courier Journal, October 15, 2026: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2026/10/15/kentucky-school-test-score-results-2026/92105591007/

- How JCPS students performed on 2026 state assessments, Louisville Courier Journal, October 15, 2026: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/jcps/2026/10/15/jcps-state-test-score-results-2026/92105580007/

- Most JCPS students still fall short in reading, math despite small gains in new state report card, WDRB/WAVE, October 15, 2026: https://www.wdrbwave.com/2026/10/15/most-jcps-students-still-fall-short-reading-math-despite-small-gains-new-state-report-card/

- New Kentucky school ratings put JCPS near bottom, Oldham County among highest-performing districts, WDRB/WAVE, October 22, 2026: https://www.wdrbwave.com/2026/10/22/new-kentucky-school-ratings-put-jcps-near-bottom-oldham-county-among-highest-performing-districts/

- 15 NKY schools flagged for poor performance, LINK nky, October 22, 2026: https://linknky.com/news/education/2026/10/22/northern-kentucky-schools-report-cards-2026/

- K-12 Accountability Statement from Brigitte Blom, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, October 2026: https://prichardcommittee.org/k-12-accountability-statement-from-brigitte-blom/

- 2026 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters, Part B — Kentucky (OSEP determination: Meets Requirements, 95 percent), U.S. Department of Education: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/KY-B-SPP-APR-FFY24.pdf

- To verify any school or district figure: go to the Kentucky School Report Card Dashboard (reportcard.kyschools.us), select the 2025-2026 school year, search the school or district by name, and compare the reading, mathematics, graduation, postsecondary readiness, and federal classification (CSI, TSI, ATSI) figures against the values stated in this episode.

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A citizens assembly proposes that Connecticut carry the full cost of special education, index school aid to inflation, and pay for property tax relief with tolls and a high-income surcharge — plus Bridgeport's expanded thirty-five million dollar school funding package and the November sixth CHET Dream Big deadline.

Sources:

- CT Mirror (Keith M. Phaneuf), October 26, 2026, 'Citizens group wants tolls, tax on rich to finance property tax relief' — full text read via The Bristol Edition republication: https://bristoledition.org/2026/10/27/across-connecticut-anxiety-fuels-data-center-backlash-2/

- Connecticut Citizens' Assembly on Property Taxes (assembly site and October 26, 2026 final report announcement): https://ct-citizens-assembly.org/

- City of Bridgeport, October 27, 2026, 'Mayor Ganim and Council Leaders Announce Plan to Further Increase Local Funding to Bridgeport Public Schools': http://www.bridgeportct.gov/news/mayor-ganim-and-council-leaders-announce-plan-further-increase-local-funding-bridgeport-public-schools

- Office of the State Treasurer (Erick Russell), October 26, 2026 press release, 'The Deadline to Enter the CHET Dream Big! Competition Is November 6' — search EIN Presswire for the release title; entry details at www.chetdreambig.com

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Two months into New Jersey's statewide bell-to-bell cellphone ban, students and educators report more focused classrooms and a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll finds eighty-three percent public support, while the disability and health exceptions written into state guidance remain in force — plus Newark's enrollment window for next year is now open.

Sources:

- Governor's Office press release on the positive impact of New Jersey's school cell phone ban, October 22, 2026 (Cherry Hill High School East roundtable; law signed January 2026, effective 2026-2027; storage options; Rutgers to host the Social Media Research Center): https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/2026/20261022a.shtml

- Rutgers University, More Than 8 in 10 New Jerseyans Support the State's School Cellphone Ban, October 12, 2026 (Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, 1,004 adults, September 24-27, margin of error plus or minus 4.1 points): https://www.rutgers.edu/news/more-8-10-new-jerseyans-support-states-school-cellphone-ban

- Courier-Post, October 26, 2026 report on the Cherry Hill High School East cell phone ban roundtable — search courierpostonline.com for 'cell phone ban Cherry Hill High School East October 2026'

- NJDOE, Release of Updated Guidelines on Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices, January 28, 2026 broadcast (bell-to-bell scope, storage options, and exceptions for an individualized education program, Section 504 plan, or health plan, translation, caregiving, and emergencies) — search nj.gov/education/broadcasts for 'Guidelines on Student Use of Internet-Enabled Devices'

- Chalkbeat Newark, Newark parents discuss picking schools for their children at district enrollment fair, October 27, 2026: https://www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2026/10/27/families-learn-about-school-options-at-newark-district-fair/

- Newark Public Schools, Newark Public Schools Continues Unparalleled Student Enrollment Growth (Newark Enrolls timeline: window opened October 24, 2026, closes January 15, 2027; admissions test January 22-23, 2027; match letters March 22, 2027; registration April 9, 2027): https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/press-releases/newark-public-schools-continues-unparalleled-student-enrollment-growth/

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Iowa's Senate File 2428 rewrote classroom removal, return, teacher-training, and discipline-data rules for every Iowa public school classroom this fall — and built a special education compliance law inside the discipline law. This deep dive walks the whole statute: the disruption definitions, the grade-level return timelines, the escalation ladder, the oversight review committees, the new read-and-sign and meeting duties for teachers of students with IEPs and Section 504 plans, the unchanged federal floor, and the two-district behavior pilot.

Sources:

- Senate File 2428, enrolled bill, Iowa General Assembly (began as Senate File 2044); House Republican staff analysis, April 29, 2026

- Iowa Code sections 279.65B, 256.9, 256.11, 256.20, 256E.7, and 708.1

- Iowa Department of Education, frequently asked questions on Senate File 2428

- Disability Rights Iowa, family guide to Senate File 2428

- Black Iowa News, family guide to Senate File 2428

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New Mexico's accreditation pilot reviewed 830 schools — 252 Approved, 578 Approved with Conditions, none Disapproved — and PED's Sept-Dec support visits are now the test of whether accountability leads to action, with Eagle Peak Career Academy as the redesign example and Silver Consolidated's rise from 88% to roughly 100% test participation as proof that being counted comes first. Sources: New Mexico Public Education Department news release, 'PED connects New Mexico schools with targeted support to improve academic performance,' Sept. 14, 2026 (mailchi.mp/state.nm.us release-17288481; accreditation under 6.19.4 NMAC; NM Vistas ratings at nmvistas.org); SW New Mexico News, 'Silver Consolidated test participation rate climbs to about 100%, official says,' Oct. 28, 2026 (swnewmexiconews.com — search the site for Silver Consolidated test participation); Tri-City Record, 'A new mission takes flight at Eagle Peak Career Academy' (tricityrecordnm.com — search for Eagle Peak Career Academy); Albuquerque Public Schools right-sizing community meeting schedule, aps.edu (Highland High School, Oct. 29, 2026, 6 p.m.); New Mexico Secretary of State 2026 general election dates via NMVote.org (early voting ends Oct. 31, 2026; Election Day Nov. 3, 2026).

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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).

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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

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