by Terrence Wilson, J.D. • February 2025 •
In 2024, state legislatures across the U.S. South considered and enacted policies that significantly impacted education equity. Our review of these key legislative actions focuses on four critical areas: securing fair school funding for all students, ensuring safe schools free from harmful discipline and over-policing, promoting culturally sustaining schools where all students feel safe and welcome, and holding schools accountable for preparing students for college success.
Progressing Backward U.S. South Policy Update – IDRA SEEN State-Level Legislative 2024 Recap and 2025 Preview, shows how, while some states took steps to modernize school funding and invest in student-centered support, others expanded private school vouchers, diverting resources away from public education. Discipline policies varied widely, with some states emphasizing restorative approaches while others increased punitive measures. Efforts to promote inclusivity faced ongoing challenges, including classroom censorship and policies targeting marginalized students.
Meanwhile, accountability measures for college readiness remained uneven. This overview highlights legislative actions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, underscoring the ongoing fight for education justice in the region.
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 parental 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. Additionally, legislation in South Carolina seeks to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, further promoting inclusivity in schools.
While many more bills will be added during the 2025 legislative session, this eBook also preview some of the issues that will be at the top of legislative agendas across the Southern region.
