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NY School District's Transgender Athlete Policy Sparks Federal Investigation NY School District's Transgender Athlete Policy Sparks Federal Investigation
NY School District's Transgender Athlete Policy Sparks Federal Investigation The Trump administration has opened an investigation into a public school district in upstate New York over its policy permitting transgender athletes. Rep. Elise Stefanik confirmed that the US Department of Education is investigating the Saratoga Springs City School District for alleged Title IX violations “after my strong public advocacy," in a post on X Tuesday, May 6. Stefanik linked to a New York Post article in which Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed that the administration was looking into whether the district discriminated against girls by allowing biological boys to play …

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones
Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones New York classrooms are dialing down distractions. Come this fall, all K-12 public schools in New York will implement bell-to-bell bans on student cell phone use, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced Tuesday, May 6. The sweeping new policy, part of the state’s 2026 budget agreement, prohibits students from using internet-enabled personal devices anywhere on school grounds from the first bell to the last—including during lunch and study hall periods. “New York was the first state to target addictive social media feeds — and now we’re the largest state to restrict smartphones in schools thr…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart
Millions To Have Paychecks Garnished As Federal Student Loan Collections Restart Millions of Americans may soon have their wages garnished as the Trump administration resumes student loan collections paused since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 5.3 million borrowers are set to receive wage garnishment notices in the summer of 2025, according to the Department of Education. The federal government officially restarted student loan debt collections on Monday, May 5. Nearly 195,000 borrowers began receiving 30-day warning letters from the Treasury Department. Their Social Security or other federal benefits will be seized through the Treasury Offset …

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
HV Math Teacher Busted With Child Porn Following Cybertip, Police Say (UPDATE) HV Math Teacher Busted With Child Porn Following Cybertip, Police Say (UPDATE)
HV Math Teacher Busted With Child Porn Following Cybertip, Police Say (Update) Police identified a Hudson Valley teacher who was arrested on charges related to child pornography. Sullivan County resident Christopher Dedonato, 26, of Liberty, was taken into custody Monday, May 5, following an investigation by New York State Police. Dedonato has worked as a math teacher at Liberty High School since 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, he worked as a substitute teacher for both the Liberty Central and Beacon City school districts. New York State Police opened an investigation after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploit…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
HS Teacher Arrested In Child Porn Case In Hudson Valley HS Teacher Arrested In Child Porn Case In Hudson Valley
HS Teacher Arrested In Child Porn Case In Hudson Valley A high school teacher in Sullivan County has been arrested on charges related to child pornography, district officials confirmed Monday evening, May 5. The teacher arrested works at Liberty High School, according to the Liberty Central School District, which said it was made aware of the arrest on Monday evening. The charges involve sharing child-related pornographic content on social media, district officials said. The district said it was first made aware of the investigation on Thursday, April 22. At that time, the teacher was placed on immediate paid administrative leave, pending the o…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Possibly Tampered-With, Smoking Chromebook Prompts Early Dismissal At HS In Hudson Valley Possibly Tampered-With, Smoking Chromebook Prompts Early Dismissal At HS In Hudson Valley
Possibly Tampered-With, Smoking Chromebook Prompts Early Dismissal At HS In Hudson Valley A high school in Dutchess County was forced to dismiss students early after a student-issued Chromebook began smoking inside a classroom, school officials said.  The incident happened around 8:50 a.m. Monday, May 5, at Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls, according to Superintendent Dr. Dwight Bonk of the Wappingers Central School District. The smoke from the device triggered a fire alarm, prompting emergency responders to arrive at the school. Although the fire was quickly contained, school leaders said the lingering smoke and odor made it necessary to dismiss students for …

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market
Record Student Loan Borrowers Face Default As Collections Resume, Grads Enter Weak Job Market A record number of federal student loan borrowers are seriously delinquent as debt collections resume after a five-year pause, while new college graduates face tough employment prospects. The Education Department restarted collecting defaulted federal student loan debt on Monday, May 5. Collections were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move threatens to seize tax refunds and garnish paychecks from millions of Americans in default on their loans. The Education Department said about 42.7 million people owe more than $1.6 trillion in student loan d…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody
Student Scored $127K In Aid With University Application Full Of Lies — Now He’s In ICE Custody A student who faked his way into Lehigh University and received over $127,000 in aid is now in ICE custody — marking the school’s third international student in recent years to face criminal charges, including one who poisoned his roommate and another who used a fake death certificate to win a full scholarship. All three have since been removed or are being deported. Cryilstan Sowah-Nai, originally from Ghana, pleaded no contest to securing execution of documents by deception on Monday, April 28, according to the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators say he misrepresen…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
124 Employees To Be Let Go At Hudson Valley School District Due To Budget Cuts, Officials Say 124 Employees To Be Let Go At Hudson Valley School District Due To Budget Cuts, Officials Say
124 Employees To Be Let Go At Hudson Valley School District Due To Budget Cuts, Officials Say Facing ongoing financial challenges, a Westchester County school district has announced it will lay off 124 employees at the end of the current school year.  Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith announced the upcoming layoffs on Wednesday, April 30, citing the district's current financial situation as the reason why. The layoffs will include: 84 certified staff members, such as teachers, teaching assistants, and administrators; 40 civil service employees. All layoffs will take effect at the end of the 2024–2025 school year.  "I am saddened…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor
National Teacher Of Year Named As Woman Who Returned Home To Teach With Mentor A Pennsylvania high school teacher has been named the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, education officials announced Tuesday, April 29. Ashlie Crosson teaches English and journalism at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, where she also helps students publish a newspaper, magazine, and run social media accounts. She earned the national title after being selected as Pennsylvania’s 2024 Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education. Crosson started teaching in Delaware in 2011, later returning to Pennsylvania to work in the Bellefonte Area School District while earning her m…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
School District Suspends DEI Policy To Protect $450K In Federal Funding In Hudson Valley School District Suspends DEI Policy To Protect $450K In Federal Funding In Hudson Valley
School District Suspends DEI Policy To Protect $450K In Federal Funding In Hudson Valley A Putnam County school district has voted to temporarily suspend its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy following last-minute legal guidance to protect hundreds of thousands of dollars in critical federal funding, officials announced.   In a letter sent to families on Saturday, April 26, the Board explained that its decision came just hours before its Tuesday, April 22 meeting, after the district’s legal counsel advised immediate action to maintain compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Failure to do so, according to the Board, could have put $450,000…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Bear Spotted Near School In Hudson Valley Prompts Safety Protocol Activation Bear Spotted Near School In Hudson Valley Prompts Safety Protocol Activation
Bear Spotted Near School In Hudson Valley Prompts Safety Protocol Activation A bear sighting near a Rockland County school led to a quick response from staff and local authorities to ensure students and staff remained safe throughout the incident, district officials said. The bear was seen on the perimeter of the campus at Haverstraw Elementary School during school hours on Tuesday, April 22, according to an email sent to families by Principal Francisco Ovalles.  As soon as the animal was spotted, school staff activated established safety protocols, keeping students and staff secure and accounted for. No one was harmed. The New York State Department of Conserv…

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by Ben Crnic