Story leads
From a year of school board meetings · each opens the video at the second · check the tape before you publish
19 leads
Two Tennessee boards vote to require Ten Commandments displays in schools
Monroe County passed a motion requiring every school to display the Ten Commandments beside the Preamble to the Constitution and part of the Declaration of Independence; the motion is read aloud before a voice vote. White County adopted Policy 4806 on second reading, with the same three documents, under the state's 2026 law.
- Monroe County School District, Aug 13, 2026, at 28:43The motion read aloud, then the vote
- White County School District, Sep 10, 2026, at 1:39:29Policy 4806 introduced for second reading
- White County School District, Sep 10, 2026, at 1:48:41The vote
Monroe County School District board page · White County School District board page
Oregon boards adopt the state's required policy on immigration agents at school
At Greater Albany, staff said the policy bars immigration agents from school property without a judicial warrant; the board adopted it the night of its first reading, facing an end-of-month deadline. Gresham-Barlow adopted it unanimously, and Creswell adopted it too.
- Greater Albany Public SD 8J, Sep 14, 2026, at 2:24:34Staff explain the policy
- Greater Albany Public SD 8J, Sep 14, 2026, at 2:28:05Motion and vote
- Gresham-Barlow School District 1J, Sep 16, 2026, at 2:09:02Motion and unanimous vote
- Creswell School District 40, Sep 23, 2026, at 34:41Policy explained, then the vote
Greater Albany Public SD 8J board page · Gresham-Barlow School District 1J board page · Creswell School District 40 board page
A new New York law puts immigrant students' rights policies on board agendas
Victor Central held a first read of Policy 7134, Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students. The board was told it is a new mandatory policy responding to Education Law Section 3201-B, passed in this year's state budget.
- Victor Central School District, Sep 10, 2026, at 1:20:02First read of Policy 7134
Campbell Union High votes 5-0 to keep immigration enforcement off district property
The board's resolution limits district help with federal civil immigration enforcement. An amendment says that, as far as the law allows, district parking lots, garages and other property may not be used as a staging area, processing site or operations base for it.
- Campbell Union High, Aug 20, 2026, at 1:58:48The resolution and the amendment
- Campbell Union High, Aug 20, 2026, at 2:01:24The 5-0 vote
Maryland's phone-free school day law arrives in Kent County a year early
The superintendent said House Bill 525 requires every Maryland school system to have a phone-free school day by fall 2027, and that Kent County will pilot phone pouches at its middle school first. The board approved the district's phone policy unanimously. Worth asking how other Maryland systems are getting ready.
- Kent County Public Schools, Jul 13, 2026, at 1:19:39The superintendent explains HB 525
- Kent County Public Schools, Jul 13, 2026, at 1:32:49Motion and vote
Fairfax sets its pre-K and kindergarten device rules, 8-4, with an exception for Lexia
The superintendent's recommendation allows the Lexia reading program for children who need extra reading support, up to 1 hour and 15 minutes a week, and lets families of kindergartners scheduled for Lexia opt out of it. The clerk reports the vote as 8-4 later in the meeting.
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Oct 8, 2026, at 1:28:15The recommendation (Lexia comes about a minute in)
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Oct 8, 2026, at 2:21:06The 8-4 vote
Fairfax orders a fast review of what Lexia costs and whether it works
The motion directs the superintendent to review the cost and instructional efficacy of Lexia reading tools, including independent research not funded by the vendor, and to compare them with staff-led tutoring. It carried unanimously.
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Oct 8, 2026, at 2:48:33The motion read aloud
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Oct 8, 2026, at 2:57:10The unanimous vote
Fairfax speakers ask the board to take weapons-detection duty off teachers
At public comment, speakers asked the board to end mandatory weapons-detection duty for teachers and other non-security staff, and said the work should go to police or trained security staff.
- Fairfax County Public Schools, Oct 8, 2026, at 1:00:36Public comment on weapons-detection duty
Austin ISD's 2026-27 budget starts from a $181 million gross deficit
Staff put revenue at about $1.4 billion, state recapture at $604 million and operating spending at $1,031 million. After planned cuts and $45 million from property sales, they said the net deficit taken from the fund balance is $4 million.
- Austin ISD, May 7, 2026, at 1:23:38The budget update
Austin ISD proposes closing Paredes Middle and splitting its students between Bailey and Mendez
Staff proposed changing the school's turnaround plan to a reassignment: closing Paredes, sending about 55% of its students to Bailey Middle and 45% to Mendez Middle, and moving the turnaround plan to Bailey. This was a proposal at this meeting, not a vote.
- Austin ISD, Jul 28, 2026, at 34:41Staff presentation (the 55-45 split comes about 4 minutes in)
Clark County votes to close a rural school projected to have one student
Goodsprings Elementary's principal told the board that continuously enrolled students had ranged from 2 to 3 over five years, with 1 projected for 2026-27, and that students would ride an existing bus to Sandy Valley. The motion to close passed.
- Clark County School District, Apr 23, 2026, at 1:02:29The principal's presentation
- Clark County School District, Apr 23, 2026, at 1:36:18Motion and vote
Clark County's efficiency study promises $80 million a year in savings
The consultants told the board their recommendations would bring $80 million in recurring general fund savings each year, against the district's one-time cost of $1.4 million for the study.
- Clark County School District, Jun 3, 2026, at 32:36The consultants' presentation
Clark County trustees move to repeal their own governance policies
The board approved a notice of intent to repeal its current governance policies, after taking up new ones earlier the same evening.
- Clark County School District, Apr 23, 2026, at 2:13:29Motion and vote
Bolivar, Missouri, sets up a task force on a four-day school week
An administrator said six districts in Polk County are already on four-day weeks and called it a hiring and keeping-staff issue, with a recommendation due by December. The board approved the task force.
- Bolivar R-I School District, Sep 17, 2026, at 52:30The case for a four-day week
- Bolivar R-I School District, Sep 17, 2026, at 1:06:42The vote
Manor ISD has been rated D three years running
Reporting on a board goal for school ratings, staff gave the district's state scores: 61 (D) for 2023-24, 60 (D) for 2024-25 and 66, still a D, for 2025-26.
- Manor Independent School District, Aug 17, 2026, at 1:27:40The ratings update
A Victor, New York, panel wants Ontario County's sales tax raised to help schools
A community subcommittee said Ontario County's rate is 7.5% while every bordering county is at 8%, and that the county shares no sales tax money with school districts.
- Victor Central School District, Sep 10, 2026, at 25:02The subcommittee report (the tax rates come about 4 minutes in)
White County, Tennessee, weighs charging tuition to students from other counties
Staff brought the out-of-county student policy to the board to study, citing Putnam County's formula of local funding divided by average daily membership: almost $4,000 a year there, and about $2,000 in White County.
- White County School District, Sep 10, 2026, at 1:49:31Staff present the policy (the formula comes about 2 minutes in)
Oak Park, Michigan, votes to reopen the superintendent's contract
The motion sends the contract back to the bargaining table to add a 6% annuity, matching the previous superintendent, and a monthly car allowance; the allowance is stated as both $700 and $600 on the tape. It passed on a roll call.
Livonia writes AI and large language models into its technology policy
On second reading, staff said Policy IFA now covers artificial intelligence and other large language models on district devices, in school or at home. The motion passed.
- Livonia Public Schools, Sep 28, 2026, at 1:07:39Staff explain the change
- Livonia Public Schools, Sep 28, 2026, at 1:09:29The vote
Each lead is something a whole board did or heard at one meeting: no board member’s own position, no personnel matter, no claim about a national trend. We found every receipt’s words in the meeting’s current transcript on Nov 1, 2026. Where the fact comes later in a long presentation, the receipt says about how far in. How we choose leads.