Schoolhouse Intel
- States are tightening school rules on phones, privacy, safety, curriculum, and libraries as the 2025–26 year begins.
- A federal court vacated the 2024 Title IX rule nationwide; the 2020 regulations are back in effect unless and until new federal action occurs. McGuireWoodsHolland & Knight
- California leads with new student-privacy and curriculum laws; New York is rolling out a bell-to-bell smartphone crackdown; Florida, Texas, and Oregon have new guardrails on phones, safety, books, and health education. CDE Governor Kathy Hochul txstate.edu Oregon
By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
Back-to-school isn’t just pencils and schedules—it’s legal updates that change daily life on campus. From phone-free school days to revamped Title IX procedures and new curriculum mandates, families and educators across California, New York, Florida, Texas, Oregon, and beyond face new requirements with real compliance risk this fall.
The Federal Baseline: Title IX reset
On January 9, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky vacated the 2024 Title IX final rule nationwide in State of Tennessee v. Cardona, returning schools to the 2020 Title IX regulations while litigation and policy debates continue. Institutions receiving federal funds should align grievance procedures and training with the 2020 rule until further notice. McGuireWoods Husch Blackwell
Practical impact: districts and colleges that had prepped for the 2024 rule must ensure their policies, notices, and hearing procedures reflect the 2020 framework again (definitions, jurisdiction, live-hearing requirements in higher ed, etc.). Holland & Knight
