Private, Public & Charter School's K-12

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Schools, libraries sound alarm over potential changes to federal internet program

A multi-billion-dollar federal program that helps schools and libraries afford broadband internet is under review by the Trump administration, leaving education officials and advocates worried about potentially significant cuts. 

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/12/repub/schools-libraries-sound-alarm-over-potential-changes-to-federal-internet-program/?

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Take a pause

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Schools are giving overwhelmed kids a place to reset, Axios' Natalie Daher writes. 🧠 Across the country, schools are adding calming rooms, "Zen Dens" and other supervised spaces where kids can step away for a few minutes, settle themselves and return to class. The idea is to ease stress before it leads to a meltdown, a trip to the principal's office or an absence from school. Why it matters: We spend a lot of time teaching children how to push through discomfort. Some schools are also teaching them when, and how, to pause. 🏫 Case in point: Nearly 20 Iowa schools had adopted "brain health retreat rooms" as of early this year, Axios Des Moines' Jason Clayworth reports. Up to five students can use a room for 10 minutes staffed with school social workers. At Ottumwa High, students made about 1,000 visits in the first half of last year. Officials say school attendance has improved since the rooms opened, while some students need them less as they build coping skills. Zoom out: Similar efforts are popping up elsewhere. The National Education Association reported in 2024 that schools were using staffed calming rooms to help students manage anger, anxiety and other difficult emotions before returning to class. At Hough High School, outside Charlotte, N.C., students who feel too stressed or anxious to focus can spend up to 15 minutes in a supervised "Zen Den," with a counselor available if needed. The school says the goal is to build resilience and coping habits. 🔬 What the research says: There's good evidence for teaching kids self-regulation, even if research specifically on dedicated calming rooms is still limited. A JAMA Pediatrics review of 49 randomized trials involving more than 23,000 children and adolescents found self-regulation interventions were effective overall. Many studies have found improvements in academic achievement, social skills, mental health and behavior. ✨ The bottom line: Feeling overwhelmed doesn't have to derail the day. These rooms give kids a place to pause — and practice getting themselves back on track.

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Homeschool is increasingly a choice for kids with disabilities and autism America’s public education system offers some of the world’s best services and protections for students with disabilities, guaranteed by federal law. But more parents are abandoning their rights to those services. They say public schools are failing their kids and they’re better off trying to educate them at home. In many states, they’re receiving thousands of dollars from taxpayers to do it. Read more.

Why this matters: Increasingly, politicians — most of them conservative — say parents of kids with disabilities should receive financial support if they choose private or homeschool options. Thirty states, plus the District of Columbia, have taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school or homeschooling, and many give priority or more money to students with special needs.   The special education rate is 15%, boosted in part by the inclusion of autism-spectrum disorders. But disability screenings are also on the rise — both in schools and in medicine — with less stigma associated with diagnoses. It’s also possible that simply more Americans have disabilities: Advances in medicine mean more premature babies are surviving, and they often have developmental delays or medical conditions.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Americans with disabilities worry about proposed changes to major national health survey