The bill, which prohibits transgender people from using the restroom that matches their gender identity, applies to multi-person restrooms and locker rooms at preK-12 public schools and charter schools.
Officials in communities like Robert Lee ISD, which has a population of about 1,000, warn vouchers will chip away at already razor-thin public school budgets. With only 250 students — about 18 children per grade—even a slight drop in enrollment and funding can force rural schools to make hard decisions.
New legislation proposed by Republican state Rep. Stan McClain would only permit “instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, or health education” only in grades 6 through 12.
"It's just a fancy buzzword and a complete failure," said one kindergarten teacher. "My story is an accurate depiction of what restorative justice looks like in schools. It's not working and there's no accountability."
The Biden administration is being asked to open a civil rights investigation into the Texas Education Agency's takeover of Houston ISD, the state’s largest and most diverse system whose school board was often at odds with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Conservative Republicans in Kansas hoping to earmark state education dollars for helping parents pay for private schooling are struggling to win over enough rural and moderate GOP colleagues to get a law enacted.
Some in the Democrat-majority community believe the decision is just another attempt by Republican leaders to regain control following election failures and COVID restrictions.
In his first visit to Iowa since announcing a 2024 presidential bid, former President Donald Trump laid out what he wants for American schools should he win: universal school choice, changes in school curriculum, elected school principals and to "break up" the U.S. Department of Education.
Inclusivity and civil rights underpin a new Bill of Rights for Students and Parents that Democrats have drawn up to counter Republican efforts to influence classroom instruction.
