U.S. Department of Education Approves Education Waivers for Oklahoma and Nebraska, 10th State Added
The U.S. Department of Education announced on November 13 that it has approved Returning Education to the States (RES) waivers for Oklahoma and Nebraska, giving the states greater freedom to combine federal funding streams in support of their education strategies. Oklahoma and Nebraska are the ninth and tenth states to receive RES waivers, joining Iowa, Louisiana, Indiana, Vermont, Arkansas, South Dakota, Mississippi, and Ohio.
Through 2029, Oklahoma plans to consolidate over $3.5 million and Nebraska nearly $3 million in federal funding. Across all 10 states with RES waivers, more than $164 million is now available for more coordinated, state-led strategies. Nebraska also received approval for Ed-Flex authority, marking a record 28 states now using this additional flexibility, under which states can waive certain federal requirements for districts and schools without first submitting those waivers to the Department.
The Department also announced approval of Georgia's Workforce Pell program.
On parental rights, the Department opened investigations into Albuquerque Public Schools and Santa Fe Public Schools in New Mexico and the Pennsbury School District in Pennsylvania over policies and alleged incidents involving schools hiding students' so-called gender transitions from parents. The Student Privacy Policy Office will investigate possible violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. The Department is also partnering with the Department of Justice on enforcement action against the Pine-Richland School District in Pennsylvania.
Separately, the Office for Civil Rights opened a directed Title IX investigation into the Camas School District in Washington state, based on information that the district allows male students to participate on female sports teams and share hotel rooms and intimate facilities with female students, and failed to respond to credible reports that female students were sexually harassed.
Source: U.S. Department of Education
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