U.S. Department of Education

East St. Louis School District 189 stood to lose the most money — $19 million for a major HVAC project — of any Illinois district. The district's spokeswoman said the judge's decision is "encouraging."

Five schools in East St. Louis are all set to lose their after-school programs. If that happens, just two of the district’s programs will be left, and approximately 300 students will be impacted.

Edwardsville and East Alton will see new board leadership as school districts have struggled to navigate budget shortfalls after pandemic-era relief money dried up last year.

The future of hundreds of investigations into possible civil rights violations at schools across the Midwest, and thousands more nationwide, are in question after the Trump Administration shuttered seven of 12 Department of Education offices charged with running the investigations.

The U.S. Department of Education can only be fully closed through an act of Congress.

If federal dollars were to disappear, union members and the congresswoman say classroom sizes could get bigger with fewer teachers and resources for students with special needs.

The first round of money will bolster the development and expansion of charter schools in St. Louis, including adding various college preparation programs and more.

After a win in the U.S. Supreme Court last year, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is leading a coalition of states challenging the Department of Education’s second attempt at loan forgiveness. The federal program could waive or help with payments for more than 8 million borrowers.

The St. Louis-based private university has quadrupled its low-income students since 2013. The school's administrators say their strategies to do so could be applicable nationwide.

James T. Minor comes to SIUE with experience at California State University and the U.S. Department of Education.