On February 20, 2024, the Supreme Court denied the Petitioners’ request for a writ of certiorari in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board. This denial followed the Court’s recent decisions striking down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University, in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard SFFA, and a similar case from the University of North Carolina. Some expected the Court to seize this opportunity to prohibit similar admissions criteria in secondary schooling. Such a determination, however, is reserved for now. Because its model has escaped scrutiny from the Supreme Court, the policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (“Thomas Jefferson HS”) may very well become a model for K-12 institutions that want to diversify their student body without protracted legal challenges or drawing the ire of the Supreme Court. Continue reading “Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to Race-Conscious Secondary School Admissions Policy”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Waives Certain Skills Test Requirements for School Bus Drivers
On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in coordination with the Department of Education, announced that it was relaxing certain standards of the commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills test for school bus driver applicants. Specifically, the action would give States the option to temporarily waive one provision of the skills test that requires applicants to identify the “under the hood” engine components. Effective January 3, 2022, this temporary waiver expires on March 31, 2022. The remaining elements of the test (outlined in 49 CFR 383.113(a)(1)(ii-ix) remain effective. Continue reading “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Waives Certain Skills Test Requirements for School Bus Drivers”
CARES Act Provides Relief to Higher Education Institutions and Students
The CARES Act appropriates $30.75 billion for an Education Stabilization Fund available through September 30, 2021, to assist governors and postsecondary institutions with preventing, preparing for and responding to COVID-19. The Act also includes important student relief and temporary regulatory flexibilities.
For more information, please visit the Duane Morris website.