National

The One Big Beautiful Bill is a pioneering move made by Congress on July 4 to reshape education funding in America. The package, estimated...

Governor Brad Little waited until late February to put his signature on one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to cross his desk in years. House Bill 93, which creates a $50 million tax credit program for families who send their kids to private schools or homeschool them, became law despite thousands of Idahoans flooding his office with opposition. The program offers up to $5,000 per student to cover private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, and other educational expenses. Within hours of Little's signature, a coalition of public school advocates announced plans to challenge the law in court, arguing it violates the state constitution's requirement that Idaho maintain a system of free public schools.

More than 2,000 homeschooling families descended on the Illinois Capitol to protest legislation that would require annual registration with local school districts and allow officials to review their educational programs. The measure has ignited a debate over where parental rights end and state responsibility for student welfare begins.

New York now spends roughly $36,000 per student annually, the highest rate in the nation. Yet more than 350,000 city students were chronically absent last year, and test scores remain below pre-pandemic levels. Critics say the math doesn't add up: the state is spending more but getting less. The pandemic changed how families think about attendance, but the problem runs deeper. Housing instability and economic pressure have made consistent school attendance difficult for vulnerable communities, even as education funding hits record highs. Whether new attendance programs can reverse the trend remains an open question, but with one in three students missing significant class time, the city's education establishment is running out of time to prove that billions in spending can translate into actual learning.