Education Across the States

A Chalkbeat Colorado investigation published October 30 reconstructs how Riverstone Academy, a thirty-student Christian school in Pueblo County, obtained a public school code and about three hundred thousand dollars in state funding despite internal warnings — and why the Colorado Department of Education says it has no clear authority to stop the next religious public school — plus the State Board's November 12-13 meeting, where permanent homeschool enrichment rules may be voted on and special education rules get a hearing.

Sources:

- Chalkbeat Colorado, 'Here's how a controversial public Christian school got started in a blue state — and what happened next' (published October 30, 2026): https://www.chalkbeat.org/republish/colorado/2026/10/30/public-christian-school-creation-and-fallout/

- Chalkbeat Colorado, 'Colorado officials knew public Christian school was religious before it opened. They didn't stop it' (July 24, 2026) — search chalkbeat.org for: Riverstone education department knew public school would be religious

- Chalkbeat Colorado, 'Judge: Colorado school board that approved public Christian school broke open meetings law' (August 12, 2026): https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/08/12/pueblo-district-70-school-board-violated-state-law-judge-rules/

- Colorado Public Radio, 'Controversial group that opened Colorado's first public Christian school will close after 13 years' (August 19, 2026): https://www.cpr.org/2026/08/19/district-49-dissolves-erboces/

- Chalkbeat Colorado via The 74, 'Colorado Officials Weighing Stricter Rules for Homeschool Enrichment Programs' (October 18, 2026): https://www.the74million.org/article/co-rejected-38-homeschool-enrichment-programs-officials-to-weigh-stricter-rules/

- Colorado Department of Education, State Board of Education page and November 12-13, 2026 meeting notice (1 CCR 301-118 Part-Time Programs for Homeschool Students and School Finance Act rules may be discussed/voted on; hearing on Exceptional Children's Educational Act rule updates; written comments recommended by November 5, 2026; testimony signup noon November 5 to noon November 11, 2026): https://ed.cde.state.co.us/cdeboard

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On Tuesday, voters in 82 California districts decide 87 local school bond measures worth a combined $12.6 billion — what the money buys, the 55 percent bar, and why forecasters expect fewer to pass — plus new CADRE data showing special education disputes still rising with California at the center, and the CBEDS and California Alternate Assessments deadlines that close today.

Sources:

- EdSource, California voters face $12.6B in school bonds. Here's what districts want to do with the money (published October 30, 2026): https://edsource.org/2026/california-school-bonds-2026-ballot-billions/769352

- EdSource news brief, Special education disputes on the rise, driven by California, Texas and Massachusetts (October 30, 2026), reporting the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) analysis: https://edsource.org/updates/special-education-disputes-are-on-the-rise-driven-by-california-texas-and-massachusetts

- California Department of Education, California Basic Educational Data System Fall 2026 reporting letter (CBEDS due October 31, 2026; Information Day October 7, 2026): https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/dc/cb/cbedsrespltr26.asp

- California Department of Education, Assessment Spotlight, Issue 383 — CAASPP 2026-27 California Alternate Assessments 1.0 Percent Threshold and Justification Survey due October 31, 2026: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/assessmentspotlight383.asp

- EdSource news brief, Fresno Pacific University expands guaranteed admissions program (October 29, 2026) — Fresno Unified signing scheduled Friday, October 30, 2026; no published confirmation found in sources checked October 31, 2026: https://edsource.org/updates/fresno-pacific-university-expands-guaranteed-admissions-program

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Arkansas is asking for fifty-two million dollars a year to cushion public school districts losing enrollment, and seventy million dollars more for Education Freedom Accounts, bringing proposed funding to three hundred seventy-nine point four million dollars — what both requests, reported from this week's pre-session budget hearings, mean and what happens November sixth.

Sources:

- Arkansas House of Representatives, 'The Work Before the Session,' published October 30, 2026 — pre-session budget hearings: fifty-two million dollars annually in declining enrollment assistance (a twenty-eight million dollar increase), an additional seventy million dollars for the Education Freedom Account program bringing proposed funding to three hundred seventy-nine point four million dollars, and hearings continuing November 6 with the Governor's balanced budget proposal: https://www.arkansashouse.org/news/post/68357/the-work-before-the-session/

- Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas School Funding Guide 2025-2026 (dese.ade.arkansas.gov — search 'Arkansas School Funding Guide') — definition and formula for declining enrollment funding under Arkansas Code section 6-20-2303(5), and the rule that no district receives both declining enrollment and student growth funding.

- Arkansas Department of Education, Education Freedom Accounts annual report for 2025-26, released October 2026 (covered October 20, 2026) — just over three hundred one million dollars distributed to forty-four thousand two hundred forty-two students in the first universal year.

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On the final weekend before Tuesday's election, a close look at the Maricopa County Community College District board races that oversee nearly 100,000 students, the storm-canceled final football night and today's noon playoff brackets, a due follow-up on the Gila three-year teaching degree launch, and tomorrow's opening of Arizona's mandatory Teacher Attrition Survey. Sources: Arizona Republic / azcentral, 'Meet the Maricopa Community College board candidates on the ballot,' October 30, 2026 (azcentral.com, search: Maricopa Community College board candidates October 30 2026); Arizona Republic / azcentral, 'Arizona storms disrupt high school football games; big 5A clashes canceled,' October 30, 2026 (azcentral.com, search: Arizona storms high school football October 30 2026); Arizona State University News, 'ASU partners with community colleges to bring 3-year teaching degrees to rural Arizona,' October 28, 2026, https://news.asu.edu/20261028-arts-humanities-and-education-asu-partners-community-colleges-bring-threeyear-teaching; Arizona Department of Education, Teacher Attrition Survey page, azed.gov (search: ADE Teacher Attrition Survey November 1 2026 January 31 2027); Arizona Republic / azcentral voting guides, October 2026 (ballots must be received by 7 p.m. November 3; in-person early voting ended October 30).

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In Haines, a fifty-year nonprofit preschool has closed for financial reasons, twenty-five childcare slots remain for an estimated one hundred twenty-two young children with working parents, and a tribal government has offered to take over the borough-owned preschool building and run childcare for the whole community — with the borough, or without it.

Sources:

- KHNS (Haines), 'We're just trying to help' says CIA tribal administrator about Chilkat Valley Preschool discussion, published October 31, 2026, reporting the October 27, 2026 Haines Borough Assembly meeting: https://khns.org/were-just-trying-to-help-says-cia-tribal-administrator-about-chilkat-valley-preschool-discussion/

- KHNS, Future of Chilkat Valley Preschool building under discussion, published October 25, 2026 (October 13 Assembly action, committee referral, Senior Center proposal, cooperative program): https://khns.org/future-of-chilkat-valley-preschool-building-under-discussion/

- Haines Borough, Chilkat Valley Childcare Meeting notes, September 13, 2026, including the provider/slot landscape and the draft Chilkoot Indian Association–Haines Borough Memorandum of Agreement (one million dollar federal grant, transfer terms, two-year term): https://www.hainesalaska.gov/media/111256

- Alaska childcare advocates press for major state investment (thread, Southeast Childhood Collective, Alaska Children's Trust webinar, September 2026), Alaska Beacon reporting via Alaska First Media: https://alaskafirstmedia.com/2026/09/28/alaska-childcare-advocates-press-for-major-state-investment-policy-changes-to-fill-growing-gaps-2/

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Three days before the November 3 election, a side-by-side look at the two governor candidates' education plans: a sharp split over the CHOOSE Act and its accountability rules, and shared ground on reading, math, and pre-K. Plus the newly posted CHOOSE Act application window for 2027-28. Sources: Alabama Daily News, 'Jones, Tuberville offer competing visions for Alabama education,' October 29, 2026 (aldailynews.com — search the site for the headline); Alabama Department of Revenue, CHOOSE Act page, revenue.alabama.gov/tax-policy/the-choose-act/ (2027-28 application window January 4 to March 31, 2027, priority order, and ESA amounts); Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, September 2026 CHOOSE Act poll as reported by Alabama Daily News (48 percent support, 50 percent oppose).

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On the day DC's first structured-literacy compliance letters come due, the expert coaches the reform promised are still mostly missing: four offered in March 2025, a hiring freeze, and one onboarding a year later — plus the phased training calendar that does not reach third grade until 2029-30 and the winter budget decision that follows the November 3 mayoral election. Sources: D.C. Code § 38-2264 (D.C. Law Library, code.dccouncil.gov — search '38-2264 Achieving competency in structured literacy instruction', subsection (e) for the October 31 letter and 15-business-day posting rule); OSSE Structured Literacy Competency Requirement materials and September 2026 LEA Compliance Letter (osse.dc.gov — search 'OSSE structured literacy compliance letter'); Allister Chang, 'DC's literacy reform is still mostly on paper,' October 22, 2026 (allisterchang.substack.com — coach offers, hiring freeze, onboarding count, convening, and score analysis, attributed as a former Early Literacy Task Force member's interpretation citing the Council record); OSSE 2026 assessment results as cited in that analysis (citywide reading 39.6%, third grade 31.2% vs 33.1% in 2019).

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An honest good, bad, and ugly deep dive into Lake Washington School District No. 414 in Redmond, Kirkland, and Sammamish, Washington — a top-performing district of about thirty thousand students now shrinking, cutting, suing the state over special education funding, and deciding whether to close schools in a realignment that takes effect in September 2028.

Sources:

- LWSD 2025-26 Comprehensive Annual Budget (enrollment, staffing, general fund revenues $614,561,471 and expenditures $612,200,242, tax base, debt, SBA tables): https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1765576100/lwsdorg/lwsdorg/lwsdorg/rek5c3fz1hcft6sdrql6/2025-26BudgetSummary.pdf

- NCES Common Core of Data, Lake Washington School District (30,986 students 2024-25, 1,729.88 teachers, ratio 17.91, per-pupil expenditures $19,927 fiscal 2022-23): https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&ID2=5304230

- LWSD Realignment page (review scope, timeline, November 2026 sessions, September 2028 effective date): https://www.lwsd.org/realignment

- Sammamish Independent, LWSD launches community survey as enrollment and revenue decline (Oct 2026): https://sammamishindependent.com/2026/10/lwsd-launches-community-survey-as-enrollment-and-revenue-decline/

- Cherish Kirkland, Kirkland Keeps Building / school growth analysis (Oct 14 and Oct 20, 2026 realignment steps, birth and housing figures): https://www.cherishkirkland.org/schoolgrowth

- LWSD Results 1 Monitoring Report, March 24, 2025 (Class of 2024 graduation 93.3%, ninth-grade credit 86.9%, subgroup gaps): https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/lwsd/Board.nsf/files/DEUM965A1A16/$file/R-1 Mission of LWSD Monitoring Report March 24 2025.pdf

- LWSD Budget Advisory Committee presentation, March 12, 2026 (February 2026 levy results: EP&O 63.40% yes, Technology and Facility Capital 63.14% yes; enrollment forecast): https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1777655045/lwsdorg/waraydqxmrc6tjbd4f27/BACPresentation031226.pdf

- LWSD Legislative Priorities, October 20, 2025 board document (special education shortfall $22.2M, substitute and insurance gaps): https://lwsd.community.highbond.com/document/b7eba008-1db5-4b6e-9bec-58bd4aaf2380/

- Washington State Auditor, LWSD Accountability Audit Report No. 1039831, published May 26, 2026 (compliance conclusion and matter under investigation): https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1780678482/lwsdorg/kgh3vf1wzy3tvcthzxom/LWSD-AccountabilityAuditReport.pdf

- AASA, A Desire To Do Things Differently (LWSD inclusion transition, complex-needs LRE shift 30% to 14%): https://www.aasa.org/resources/resource/desire-to-do-things-differently

- Citizen Portal, Lake Washington School Board votes to join statewide education-funding lawsuit (Resolution 2448, Oct 19, 2026): https://citizenportal.ai/articles/11282826/washington/school-districts/lake-washington-school-district/lake-washington-school-board-votes-to-join-statewide-educationfunding-lawsuit

- Million Voices, Dad Sues After School Refuses Faith-Based Opt-Out (Averkiev v. LWSD, filed Sept 8, 2026, and district response): https://millionvoices.org/dad-sues-after-school-refuses-faith-based-opt-out/

- Hagens Berman press release, Parents Sue Kirkland's Lake Washington School District Alleging Sexual Abuse of Seven-Year-Old Student (filed June 12, 2026; allegations only): https://www.hbsslaw.com/press/lake-washington-school-district-child-sexual-abuse/parents-sue-kirklands-lake-washington-school-district-alleging-sexual-abuse-of-seven-year-old-student

- LWSD Past Ballot Measures and Projects (2024 Building Excellence levy, 2022/2019/2011 levies passed, 2018/2014/2010 bonds failed): https://www.lwsd.org/services/facilities/construction/past-ballot-measures-projects

- GreatSchools, Lake Washington School District summary of state data (proficiency and participation aggregates): https://www.greatschools.org/washington/redmond/lake-washington-school-district/

Verification steps for figures without a stable direct link: (1) OSPI Washington State Report Card — go to reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us, select District, Lake Washington School District No. 414, then the Enrollment, Assessment, and Graduation tabs for race/program enrollment and SBA/WCAS detail; the underlying downloadable files are catalogued at data.wa.gov under tags Report Card Enrollment, Report Card Assessment Data, and Report Card Graduation. (2) OSPI Special Education Data Collection Summaries — open the November Federal Child Count and LRE file and filter District = Lake Washington. (3) King County Elections February 10, 2026 special election results for Lake Washington School District No. 414 Propositions 1 and 2 to cross-check levy percentages.

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A family sued Vermont in federal court on October 27 over Act 73's town tuition rules, arguing the new eligibility tests cut every religious school out of public tuition — and that a board read the law's grandfather clause, 'until they graduate,' to mean 'until they leave' for one senior in her final year.

Sources — Christian Post, October 29, 2026, 'Vermont sued for excluding religious schools from tuition program': https://www.christianpost.com/news/vermont-sued-for-excluding-religious-schools-from-tuition-program.html ; Alliance Defending Freedom press release, October 28, 2026, announcing Bishop v. Saunders in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont: https://adflegal.org/press-release/vermont-continues-its-decades-long-crusade-of-discriminating-against-religious-families-schools/ ; VTDigger reporting from August 2025 on Act 73's independent school eligibility list (12 religious schools deemed ineligible; eligible private schools falling from 46 to 18, as also reported by Vermont Public), via Insurance Journal, August 29, 2025: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2025/08/29/837371.htm . To verify the filing, search the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont docket for Bishop v. Saunders, filed October 27, 2026.

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How Maine fell from first in the nation in reading and math to its lowest scores in a generation — and the back-to-basics reset the state has launched in response. Sources: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, National Center for Education Statistics; Maine Department of Education Through Year Assessment results and reading and math action plans; Bangor Daily News investigation into Maine test scores (2026); Kids Count Data Book, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Maine Children's Alliance; Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) instructional materials study, March 2024; Educate Maine early literacy policy recommendations. Verify by searching each source's own site for the named report or release.

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