View as Webpage  •  April 2, 2025

State legislatures across the U.S. South are acting on policies that significantly impact education equity. IDRA has released a new report outlining key legislative actions taken last year and previewing the current year.

Progressing Backward – IDRA SEEN State-Level Legislative 2024 Recap and 2025 Trends, by Terrence Wilson, J.D., shows how, while some states took steps to modernize school funding and invest in student-centered support, others went backward by expanding private school vouchers, diverting resources away from public education.

See Education Policy Trends in Each Southern State

The report provides a state-by-state overview for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia that underscores the ongoing fight for education justice in the region.

Discipline policies varied widely, with some states emphasizing restorative approaches while others increased punitive measures. Efforts to promote inclusivity face ongoing challenges, including classroom censorship and policies targeting marginalized students.

As of the start of the legislative season in 2025, several southern state legislatures are continuing efforts to restrict education on certain topics, particularly those related to LGBTQ+ identities, race and religion. Proposed bills in Texas and Virginia seek to limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and regulate library materials.

Some lawmakers are also pushing for increased religious presence in public schools, including incorporating Bible studies into curricula, expanding the role of religious chaplains, and mandating the display of the Ten Commandments.

Additionally, legislation in South Carolina and Virginia is leveraging parent rights to restrict student expression, such as enabling parent challenges to school materials and requiring parent notification that could forcibly out transgender students.

Conversely, some legislators are working to make schools more inclusive and supportive. Bills in South Carolina, Texas and Virginia propose expanding curricula to include ethnic studies, protecting students from race-based hairstyle discrimination, and providing culturally responsive mental health services.

Other efforts aim to increase family engagement in education and ensure that schools foster welcoming environments for all students. Legislation in South Carolina seeks to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, further promoting inclusivity in schools.

Connect with Advocacy Networks

IDRA’s SEEN (Southern Education Equity Network) is a forum for concerned parents and caregivers, students, community members, and organizational and coalition friends who advocate for public education and student success across the U.S. South.

IDRA continues to monitor state legislative activities through the SEEN State Policy Collaborative. This group is dedicated to building culturally-sustaining schools across the South. Connect with us to find information, share resources and get support from advocates across the region. We support each other to defend against attacks on culturally-sustaining schools and to promote a positive vision for what welcoming public schools can be across the South.

For more information about our work in the U.S. South, join the Southern Education Equity Network. 

Also check out IDRA’s award-winning We All Belong – School Resource Hub with classroom lessons and tools for educators, families and policy advocates, particularly in the U.S. South, who want to make sure students receive a strong, truthful education in our public schools.