Education Across the States

Four online schools serving 4,707 Colorado students lost their authorizer when their cooperative dissolved — this week two El Paso County districts moved, in opposite directions, to decide what online school looks like next.

Sources:

- Colorado Department of Education news release, State Board approves emergency transfer of six online schools to District 49 (August 2026): https://ed.cde.state.co.us/newsbureau/newsrelease/transfer-online-schools-to-d49

- The Gazette (Colorado Springs), via Government Technology, Colorado School Districts Approve New Online Options, October 23, 2026: https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/colorado-school-districts-approve-new-online-options

- The Monument Independent, D38 Will Seek State Approval to Oversee a Statewide Online School (Lewis-Palmer District 38 board, October 19, 2026): https://monumentindependent.com/schools/d38-williamsburg-online-school/

- Colorado Department of Education SchoolView profile for Williamsburg Academy of Colorado (state enrollment count 715 in 2025-26 and four-year graduation rate 54.1 percent for 2024-25): search CDE SchoolView for Williamsburg Academy of Colorado

AI Generated

School sports in American Samoa are running on a patchwork: the Athletics Office has closed, the Fiscal Year 2027 budget carries no money for sports events, a season kicked off on September 4 anyway, and an October 22 government release on special program budget reductions named sports again. Alex and Jordan walk the timeline from the August House Education Committee testimony to this week's reductions notice, and what families should ask their schools now. Educational guidance, not legal advice.

Sources:

- Talanei / 93KHJ reporting via Conven.org, 'No funding for school sports in FY2027 budget' — House Education Committee testimony (Athletics Office closed; sports under the Secondary Division and the American Samoa High School Athletics Association; no FY2027 funding for sports events; business and NGO assistance not guaranteed; lawmaker response): https://conven.org/samoa/news/no-funding-for-school-sports-in-fy2027-budget/

- American Samoa Government, Press Releases index — PR001-09042026, 'The American Samoa Department of Education Proudly Celebrates the Official 2026 Sports Kick-Off' (09/04/2026), and PR001-10222026, 'FY 2027 Special Program Budget Reductions to Impact Community Services, Sports, Village Development, and Government Activities' (10/22/2026): https://www.americansamoa.gov/pressreleases

- American Samoa Department of Education (ASDOE) homepage — system totals (more than 12,000 students; 22 early childhood education sites, 23 elementary schools, 6 high schools; more than 1,900 employees), retrieved October 26, 2026: https://www.amsamoadoe.com

To verify the press releases without a stable direct link: americansamoa.gov, then Press Releases, then the October 2026 and September 2026 listings by release number.

AI Generated

About half of CNMI Public School System students returned to campus on an Austerity Monday for the first day of the Student Success Academy, while the Board of Education's authorized funding lawsuit remains unfiled and at least thirty-three substitute-teacher contracts have been terminated.

Sources:

- Marianas Press, Commissioner of Education discusses path ahead with austerity and pending lawsuit / first day of Student Success Academy (about half of students back on campus): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY_1oevvSE0

- Marianas Press, Acting PSS Commissioner rallies 5-Day School Comeback amid deepest fiscal deficit in 30 years (September 17 Board of Education meeting; 5-Day Promise, Monday academy design, Consolidated Grant carryover, $91 million federal portfolio, $13.3 million pending applications): https://marianaspress.com/news/article/acting-pss-commissioner-of-education-rallies-5-day-school-comeback-amid-deepest-fiscal-deficit-in-30-years

- Marianas Press, PSS Board Votes to Take CNMI Government to Court Over School Funding Crisis (October 13 emergency meeting; four in favor, one abstention; Article XV, Section 1(e) twenty-five percent floor; thirty-seven point one million dollar figure): https://marianaspress.com/news/article/pss-board-votes-to-take-cnmi-government-to-court-over-school-funding-crisis

- Marianas Press, PSS ends substitute teaching contracts amid budget crisis; government lawsuit not filed (at least thirty-three substitutes terminated; lawsuit not filed; one hundred thirty-seven employees lost since January including forty-seven teachers): https://marianaspress.com/news/article/pss-ends-substitute-teaching-contracts-amid-budget-crisis-government-lawsuit-not-filed

- Isla Public, 'Struggling to keep this government going' — Governor warns of furloughs, rising austerity after signing strained CNMI budget, October 8, 2026 (fiscal 2027 budget built on one hundred point seven million dollars in projected General Fund revenues; twenty-five million dollars allocated to PSS): https://www.islapublic.org/news/2026-10-08/struggling-to-keep-this-government-going-apatang-warns-of-furloughs-rising-austerity-after-signing-strained-cnmi-budget

- NMI News Service, Teacher to Board of Education: PSS Turmoil 'Is Your Fault' (general revenue math: one hundred forty-eight point four million dollars; twenty-five percent equals thirty-seven point one million dollars): https://www.nminewsservice.com/news/local/teacher-board-of-education-pss-turmoil-your-fault/

- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2026 SPP/APR and State Determination Letters, Part B — Northern Mariana Islands (Needs Assistance for 2024 and 2025) — search sites.ed.gov/idea for '2026 SPP/APR State Determination Letters Part B Northern Mariana Islands'

- CNMI Public School System research brief (single Commonwealth-wide system, twenty schools, Saipan/Tinian/Rota enrollment) at ~/workspace/goals/nh-education-daily-podcast-series/hidden_files/multistate/research/mp.md

AI Generated

When WAPA's generation failed last week, the Saint Thomas Saint John district closed every public school on Friday, October twenty-third — today's briefing traces what failed, what it cost, and what happens next.

Sources:

- Governor's Office, closure announcement, October 23, 2026: https://www.vi.gov/public-schools-and-executive-branch-government-offices-in-st-thomas-st-john-district-to-close-friday-due-to-power-interruptions/

- Governor Bryan statement on outages and restoration, October 25, 2026: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-acknowledges-residents-frustration-over-power-outages-reaffirms-commitment-to-strengthening-wapa/

- St. John Tradewinds, 'Enough Is Enough' protest coverage, October 23, 2026: https://stjohntradewinds.com/enough-is-enough-protesters-demand-reliable-power-as-outages-disrupt-daily-life/

- Virgin Islands Public Services Commission, October 13, 2026 LEAC decision (22.2246 to 25.2246 cents per kWh, vote 3-1): https://psc.vi.gov/news/

- WAPA emergency fuel-cost adjustment request, October 5, 2026 — search viwapa.vi press releases for 'WAPA Submits Emergency Fuel-Cost Adjustment to the PSC'

- VIDE enrollment by gender 2024-2025 (Saint Thomas Saint John District 5,265 students): https://www.vide.vi/uploaded/PRE/Enroll/by_Gender/2024-2025_Enrollment_by_Gender.pdf

- VIDE 2026-2027 Public School Calendar (October 26 Open House / Parental Conference, all districts): https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1778867105/videvi/ruftj0rj7v0chlfhdfo5/OfficialVIDE2026-2027PublicSchoolCalendar.pdf

AI Generated

Tiyan High School returns to its home campus and George Washington, Machananao, and M.A. Ulloa resume regular schedules on October 26, closing the split-session and Super Typhoon Champi closure chapter for those campuses. Sources: Guam Department of Education news release issued October 22, 2026, 'Tiyan High School to Return to Home Campus Monday' (via Guam Education Newswire / EIN Newsdesk, education.einnews.com/country/guam — search that page for the headline); The Guam Daily Post, 'GW, Machananao, M.A. Ulloa schools resume regular schedules' (Oct. 24, 2026, via EIN Newsdesk Guam Education Newswire — search for the headline); Isla Public Radio / KPRG, 'Tiyan High School passes sanitation inspection' (Oct. 6, 2026): https://www.islapublic.org/news/2026-10-06/tiyan-high-school-passes-sanitation-inspection; Isla Public, 'WASC restores accreditation for Guam schools after purchase order problem resolved' (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.islapublic.org/news/2026-10-07/wasc-restores-accreditation-for-guam-schools-after-purchase-order-problem-resolved; Isla Public, 'Barnett calls for Won Pat's resignation as GDOE superintendent' (Oct. 15, 2026): https://www.islapublic.org/news/2026-10-15/barnett-calls-for-won-pats-resignation-as-gdoe-superintendent; Guam News Network, 'GDOE: Schools closed Monday for Champi damage assessment' (Oct. 19, 2026): https://guamnewsnetwork.com/news/gdoe-schools-closed-monday-for-champi-damage-assessment; GDOE Integrated Monitoring Manual (April 2026) on Guam's unitary system and Division of Special Education: https://gdoe.net/files/page/2442/Monitoring_Manual_april_2026.pdf

AI Generated

Puerto Rico's schools face two fiscal deadlines: the federal fiduciary agent exits on November 20, and the Oversight Board wants a credible five-year financial plan by December 31 — while a nine million dollar bus debt and a thirteen million dollar alliance-school gap show what is at stake.

Sources:

- PRFAA, Governor and Secretary of Education announce U.S. Department of Education approval of transition plan to end Third-Party Fiduciary Agent oversight, March 26, 2026 (TPFA exit scheduled November 20, 2026; CCAP; new Compliance Office; ~$32 million annual savings and more than $150 million total cost, per the Governor): https://www.prfaa.pr.gov/recent-press-releases/governor-and-secretary-of-education-announce-u-s-department-of-education-approval-of-transition-plan-to-end-third-party-fiduciary-agent-oversight

- 787 Daily, Puerto Rico Morning Brief, October 24, 2026 (Oversight Board letter signed by Robert Mujica ordering PRDE to revise and resubmit its multiyear financial plan by December 31, 2026, covering FY2027-FY2032, with the Office of Management and Budget): https://787daily.com/brief/2026-10-24/

- El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico Education Department owes school bus operators $9 million, October 5, 2026: https://www.elnuevodia.com/english/news/story/puerto-rico-education-department-owes-school-bus-operators-9-million/

- El Nuevo Día (Spanish original), ¿Faltan $13 millones para las escuelas chárter este año? Educación explica señalamiento de la Junta Fiscal, October 16, 2026 (EPA deficit of $13,093,924 for FY2027; 20 charter transactions totaling $43,716,949.58; November 30 information deadline; Secretary Ramos Parés response): https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/gobierno/notas/faltan-13-millones-para-las-escuelas-charter-este-ano-educacion-explica-senalamiento-de-la-junta-fiscal/

- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Puerto Rico 2026 IDEA Part B determination letter, June 18, 2026 (Needs Assistance; FFY 2024 SPP/APR): https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/PR-B-SPP-APR-FFY24.pdf

- Puerto Rico Department of Education (de.pr.gov) and the PR Education Daily research brief (single unified district; seven ORE regions) at ~/workspace/goals/nh-education-daily-podcast-series/hidden_files/multistate/research/pr.md

AI Generated

Tonight the Natrona County School District One trustees take up a proposal to end grades six through twelve at Midwest School in twenty twenty-seven to twenty twenty-eight, while kindergarten through fifth grade stays. The district's email to families calls the upper program significantly overstaffed and cites the changed state funding model, but no savings figure has been published. Midwest, the district's only preschool-through-twelfth-grade school with about one hundred twenty-seven students and a four-day week, answered with a town hall of more than one hundred people, a plea for time, charter and new-district alternatives, and a request at the state school facilities committee for a ninety-day stay.

Sources:

- Wyoming News Now / YourWyomingLink (KCWY), 'Midwest School may lose half its classes, parents worry for students,' published October 19, 2026: https://www.yourwyominglink.com/news/local/midwest-school-may-lose-half-its-classes-parents-worry-for-students/article_cc2d9358-4585-426d-8267-a4e1c8c1b35a.html

- Cowboy State Daily, The Roundup video news, Thursday, October 22, 2026 (Midwest Recreation Center town hall, more than 100 attendees, email and phone campaign ahead of Monday's board meeting): search cowboystatedaily.com for Midwest school town hall October 2026

- CitizenPortal meeting summary, Wyoming Select Committee on School Facilities, October 21, 2026 (Midwest mayor and state lawmaker request a 90-day stay; committee asks staff to investigate options): https://citizenportal.ai/articles/11300172/wyoming/executive/organizations/budget-department/midwest-mayor-and-lawmaker-urge-delay-as-committee-weighs-rural-school-policy

- Natrona County School District 1, Midwest Schools K-12 school page (only preschool-through-twelfth-grade school in the district, four-day week, students from across Natrona County, bus transportation): https://www.natronaschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2049605&type=d&pREC_ID=2118278

- PublicSchoolReview / National Center for Education Statistics data for Midwest School, Midwest, Wyoming (127 students, preschool through grade twelve, student-teacher ratio 8 to 1): https://www.publicschoolreview.com/midwest-school-profile

AI Generated

When a child already has an IEP, Act 20 still requires screening and, below the 25th percentile, a personal reading plan — this briefing explains how the two plans fit together, which document controls, who may deliver the instruction, and when a team may bypass screening or change progress monitoring, all from DPI's own guidance.

Sources:

- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Act 20: Students with IEPs: https://dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads/act-20-students-ieps

- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Early Literacy Assessment and Act 20 (diagnostic assessment list, revised April 22, 2026; sensitivity 70 percent, specificity at least 80 percent): https://dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads/early-literacy-assessment-and-act-20

- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Act 20 Frequently Asked Questions (including the June 25, 2026 update on screening or diagnostic triggers for a personal reading plan): https://dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads/act-20-faq

- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Act 20 Reporting Requirements, Wis. Stat. section 118.016: search DPI site for Act 20 Reporting Requirements

AI Generated

West Virginia's Senate Bill 890 replaces the one hundred eighty day school year with a nine hundred hour instructional term effective July first, twenty twenty seven, and counties are already planning for it after an October fourteenth state board briefing. Sources: West Virginia Legislature, Senate Bill 890 (2026 Regular Session), enrolled committee substitute text — passed March 14, 2026, approved by the Governor April 1, 2026, to take effect July 1, 2027; amends West Virginia Code section 18-5-45 and section 18-28-2 (nine hundred hour instructional term, two hundred day employment term, twenty noninstructional days, Educator Focus Days, alternative instruction up to twenty five hours): https://legiscan.com/WV/text/SB890/2026 ; West Virginia Board of Education meeting agenda, October 14, 2026, item VII.B, School Calendar Changes (information) — Senate Bill 890 briefing by the Office of External Operations: https://wvde.us/media/10062/wvbe-meeting-agenda-october-14-2026 ; West Virginia Department of Education, October 2026 board meeting coverage (wvde.us) — search wvde.us for 'October 2026 WVBE meeting'.

AI Generated

By Friday, October 30, Washington agencies must publish an updated transition plan for students likely to become eligible for Developmental Disabilities Administration services — the coordination document behind Senate Bill 5253, which ended the birthday cliff by extending special education through the end of the school year a student turns 22. Plus: Seattle's Interagency Recovery Campus, Washington's only public recovery high school, earns national accreditation.

Sources:

- Washington State Legislature, Substitute Senate Bill 5253 (2025), Chapter 256, 2025 Laws — bill summary and history (governor signed May 13, 2025; effective July 27, 2025; by request of the Superintendent of Public Instruction): https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=5253&Initiative=false&Year=2025

- Washington State Legislature, Senate and House Bill Reports for SSB 5253 (2025-26) — services to the end of the school year a student turns 22 or graduation; extended under-21 provisions; October 30, 2026 transition-plan update by OSPI, DSHS, the Department of Services for the Blind and other agencies, in consultation with nonprofit transition providers and IEP advocates; coordinated services for ages 16-22 that supplement and do not supplant special education funding: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bill%20Reports/House/5253-S%20HBR%20ED%2025.htm

- Washington Autism Alliance, 'Extending Special Education Services In Washington State: SB 5253,' January 2025 (2024 Ninth Circuit ruling background; October 30, 2026 plan mandate): https://washingtonautismalliance.org/extending-special-education-services-in-washington-state-sb-5253/

- Seattle Public Schools, 'Washington's only public recovery high school recognized for meeting national standards,' October 2026 — Interagency Academy Recovery Campus accreditation by the Association of Recovery Schools; King County partnership; grades 9-12 model; 2015-2025 outcomes (67 percent, 15 percent, 53 percent): https://www.seattleschools.org/news/interagency-recovery-campus-earns-national-accreditation/

- Seattle Public Schools / Puget Sound ESD, Interagency Recovery Campus brief series (more than one-third of students qualify for disability accommodations; special education services access): search seattleschools.org for 'Interagency Recovery Campus brief'

AI Generated