CoSN 2026: Student-Led Cyber Programs Incentivize Culture of Safety
At DeKalb County School District, the second‑year Cyber Champions program places students at the forefront of district‑wide cybersecurity education, turning them into peer advocates for digital safety, phishing awareness, and AI ethics. The initiative operates without a dedicated budget, leveraging existing staff, free resources like Canva and Common Sense Media, and short, student‑produced presentations. By empowering students to call out insecure practices, the district reports a cultural shift where teachers ask nuanced privacy questions and students scrutinize links before clicking. Participants also earn AI safety knowledge and leadership credentials for college applications.
State-Appointed Supt. Envisions 100 AI-Focused Campuses for Houston ISD
Houston ISD superintendent Mike Miles is expanding the AI‑focused “Future 2” program from two to six schools for the 2026‑27 school year, adding two elementary and two middle campuses. The initiative is part of the district’s New Education System reform, which...
ASU+GSV 2026: AI’s Impact on Youth Psychology
At the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit, a panel titled “Living and Learning With Aliens” warned that AI‑driven chatbots and learning tools could undermine youth psychological development. Experts highlighted the loss of relational friction, reduced empathy, and the danger of anthropomorphic language...
Opinion: ADA Rule Forces Schools to Rethink How They Publish Online
The U.S. Department of Justice’s updated Title II website accessibility rule takes effect on April 24, requiring public institutions serving more than 50,000 people to meet ADA‑compliant web standards immediately, while smaller entities have until April 26 2027. K‑12 districts, whose websites now serve...
Approaches to AI Vary Among San Diego County Schools
San Diego County’s 42 school districts are racing to craft AI policies, resulting in a patchwork of approaches that range from strict usage rules to a focus on AI literacy. Poway Unified released an AI Playbook emphasizing critical‑thinking skills, while...
Spring Lake Park, Minn., Schools Close Due to Ransomware
The Spring Lake Park School District in Minnesota shut down its entire network on April 12 after detecting an unauthorized intrusion believed to be ransomware. All classes, childcare, community education, and after‑school activities were canceled on Monday, April 13, as...
Virtual Learning Boomed, but Now States Struggle to Govern It
The pandemic vaulted virtual K‑12 schooling from a niche option to a permanent fixture, but state oversight remains a patchwork of centralized, decentralized and hybrid models. Florida runs a statewide virtual system, Michigan relies on multiple local authorizers, and Texas...
21 New Education Bills in Virginia Deal With Tech, Mental Health
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed 21 education bills in Virginia aimed at bolstering student mental health, regulating classroom technology, reviving school‑construction oversight, and improving support for low‑performing schools. The revived School Construction and Modernization Commission must deliver a 10‑year capital roadmap...
Alamo Heights ISD Declines to Say Whether It Paid Ransom
Alamo Heights Independent School District (AHISD) suffered a ransomware attack in late March that knocked out internet access for nearly a week. The district restored its systems with external forensic investigators but refused to confirm whether it paid a ransom,...
Lorain, Ohio, High School to Launch Online Job Directory
Lorain High School in Ohio is rolling out a free digital Job & Employer Directory in partnership with OhioMeansJobs Lorain County. The online catalog will list local companies, open positions, and application details, with employer submissions due by April 16 and...
Will Iowa Use AI to Analyze School, County Budgets?
Iowa House leaders are weighing a multi‑million‑dollar (estimated $5 million) contract with Tyler Technologies to deploy artificial‑intelligence tools that analyze school and county budgets. The AI platform would ingest publicly available spending data, normalize it by size and geography, and present...
Centegix Acquires Pikmykid for School Safety, Operations
Emergency‑response firm Centegix has acquired school‑safety software provider Pikmykid, creating a unified platform that merges daily student‑movement workflows with crisis‑response tools. The combined solution will handle tasks such as bus dismissal coordination, real‑time campus mapping, and silent panic alerts on...
Q&A: Do Weapons Detection Systems Keep Schools Safe?
Pinellas County schools are piloting weapon detection systems at two campuses amid rising firearm incidents in K‑12 settings. Mo Canady, director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, cautions that technology alone can create a false sense of security...
North Haven to Automate $250 Fines for Passing School Buses
North Haven, Connecticut, will begin automatically issuing $250 fines on April 13 to drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, using BusPatrol cameras that capture license‑plate data. During a warning phase, the town sent nearly 300 warnings to violators. The...
Florida Virtual School Taps Texas Voucher Program via Loophole
Florida’s NFC Academy, a K‑12 Christian virtual school, was approved by the Texas Comptroller on March 13 to participate in the state’s $1 billion Education Freedom voucher program. The school entered as a “private school acting as a vendor,” exploiting a...
