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Eight NY High Schools Ranked Among Top 100 Nationally: See Which Ones Eight NY High Schools Ranked Among Top 100 Nationally: See Which Ones
Eight NY High Schools Ranked Among Top 100 Nationally: See Which Ones More than two dozen high schools across the Northeast have been recognized among the top 100 in the US, according to a new ranking. The U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best High School Rankings on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The 2025 list evaluated more than 24,000 public high schools nationwide based on test scores, college-level coursework, and graduation rates. The report highlights schools where students outperformed expectations in math, reading, and science, passed college-level exams, and graduated on time. U.S. News said its goal is to recognize high achievers while…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why
School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why As the new school year gets closer, parents are preparing to pay more to pack a lunch, with many changing what will be in their kids' lunchboxes to save money. Nearly half of parents and caregivers (48%) expect to pay more for school-day lunches this year than last, according to Deloitte's 2025 Back-to-School Survey. The study also found that grocery prices are 23% higher than they were in 2020. The increase comes as many everyday staples are getting more expensive under President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on imports, which economists say are raising costs on a variety of foods f…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Penn State Fraternity Sigma Pi Suspended For Hazing, But Continues To Operate Off-Campus Penn State Fraternity Sigma Pi Suspended For Hazing, But Continues To Operate Off-Campus
Penn State Fraternity Sigma Pi Suspended For Hazing, But Continues To Operate Off-Campus A Penn State fraternity has been formally suspended from the university for at least four years following an investigation into hazing, officials announced on Thursday, July 31. The Sigma Pi fraternity was placed on an indefinite organizational suspension, effective Wednesday, July 17, after Penn State’s Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response investigated multiple reports of hazing and serious misconduct beginning in March 2025. According to the university, allegations included physical and mental abuse, forced consumption of alcohol and other undesirable substances, forced …

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Back-To-School 2025 Deals: More Families Shopping Early To Dodge Rising Prices Back-To-School 2025 Deals: More Families Shopping Early To Dodge Rising Prices
Back-To-School 2025 Deals: More Families Shopping Early To Dodge Rising Prices Most families are already hunting for back-to-school deals in the summer heat. Roughly two-thirds (67%) of families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade had started shopping by early July, according to the National Retail Federation. That's up from 55% in 2024 and the highest level since NRF began tracking early shopping in 2018. More than half (51%) of families said they're shopping ahead of time because they expect prices to rise due to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. "Consumers are being mindful of the potential impacts of tariffs and inflation on b…

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
NY Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why NY Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why
NY Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why Many public school systems in the Northeast are outperforming the rest of the country in quality and safety, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of States with the Best & Worst School Systems on Monday, July 21. The study ranked every state's public schools based on academic performance, safety, funding, and teacher credentials. Massachusetts ranked No. 1 in the country, earning top scores in both fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading. The Bay State also had the highest share of students scoring a three or better on Advanced Placement (AP) exams and …

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
Bell-To-Bell Ban: NY Schools Have Days Left To Finalize Smartphone Restrictions Bell-To-Bell Ban: NY Schools Have Days Left To Finalize Smartphone Restrictions
Bell-To-Bell Ban: NY Schools Have Days Left To Finalize Smartphone Restrictions “More learning, less scrolling:” That’s the message behind New York’s new Distraction-Free Schools Law, which will restrict smartphone use from the first bell to the last across K-12 public schools starting this fall. Gov. Kathy Hochul hosted a roundtable on Monday, July 14, with Capital Region school leaders and the state teachers union to discuss how the statewide ban will be implemented when the 2025-2026 school year begins. The new law — signed earlier this year — requires all public school districts to publish their distraction-free device policies by Friday, August 1. Nearly 150 distr…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’ UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’
UVA President Resigns Amid DOJ Pressure: ‘I Cannot Fight The Government To Save My Job’ The University of Virginia President James "Jim" Ryan announced his resignation on Friday amid pressure from the Justice Department, according to multiple reports. For months, the university has been under investigation by President Donald Trump's administration regarding its handling of the dissolution of DEI programs.  The New York Times reported on Thursday that the Justice Department was demanding Ryan step down, which he did on Friday, June 27. Ten days earlier, the Justice Department reportedly issued a stern warning to the board overseeing the University of Virginia that the sc…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Penn State Professor Accused Of Stalking Family, Watching 4-Year-Old Through Window: Affidavit Penn State Professor Accused Of Stalking Family, Watching 4-Year-Old Through Window: Affidavit
Penn State Professor Accused Of Stalking Family, Watching 4-Year-Old Through Window: Affidavit A Penn State biology professor is accused of stalking a State College family—including their 4-year-old child—by repeatedly lurking outside their apartment and watching them through their windows, Patton Township police said in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Wednesday, June 25. Anoop Narayanan, 50, was arrested on Saturday night, June 15, after the family caught him crouching outside their Toftrees Avenue home just before 10 p.m., according to the affidavit of probable cause. The victim told police he'd installed a surveillance camera specifically to capture Narayanan’s behavior…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
NY Teaching Assistant Sent Naked Photos To 14-Year-Old, Police Say NY Teaching Assistant Sent Naked Photos To 14-Year-Old, Police Say
NY Teaching Assistant Sent Naked Photos To 14-Year-Old, Police Say A New York school employee is facing felony charges after sending nude photos to a teenage student over a period of several months, police said. Anamaria Milazzo, 22, of Elmira, was arrested Monday, June 16, a week after a school resource officer at the Greater Southern Tier BOCES received a complaint alleging she sent inappropriate material to a minor, according to the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office. An investigation found that Milazzo, who has worked as a teaching assistant since December 2024, sent nude photos of herself to a 14-year-old boy over a three-month period, deputies said. M…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Loaded Gun Found In Student's Backpack At Schenectady High School Loaded Gun Found In Student's Backpack At Schenectady High School
Loaded Gun Found In Student's Backpack At Schenectady High School A Schenectady High School student is in police custody after a loaded handgun was discovered in her bag during a routine security screening Friday afternoon, June 13, police said. The alarming incident unfolded just after noon, when school staff were alerted by the building’s weapon screening system that a potential weapon had been detected in a student’s backpack at the entrance, according to Schenectady Police. The agency’s Community Engagement Officers, who were already on-site, immediately intervened and confiscated what appeared to be a loaded handgun, police said. The student, an 18-…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
HV Softball Coach Avoids Title IX Claims, But Investigation Continues (UPDATE) HV Softball Coach Avoids Title IX Claims, But Investigation Continues (UPDATE)
HV Softball Coach Avoids Title IX Claims, But Investigation Continues (Update) A Hudson Valley high school softball coach removed from team activities last month remains under investigation, but the case has not risen to the level of a federal Title IX complaint, district officials confirmed.   Bruce Guyette, the longtime varsity softball coach at Minisink Valley High School and one of the most successful in New York State history, has been under review since early May following unspecified allegations, as Daily Voice previously reported.   In a statement to Daily Voice on Thursday, June 12, Minisink Valley Central School District communications di…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
School Worker's ICE Outfit On 'Hero Day' Sparks Outrage, Reassignment At NY Campus School Worker's ICE Outfit On 'Hero Day' Sparks Outrage, Reassignment At NY Campus
School Worker's ICE Outfit On 'Hero Day' Sparks Outrage, Reassignment At NY Campus An elementary school event meant to celebrate everyday heroes has sparked controversy after a staff member reportedly dressed up an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. The incident occurred Wednesday, June 11, at Northwest Elementary School during the Amityville Union Free School District’s “Hero Day,” when students and staff were encouraged to dress as role models or public servants. One employee showed up wearing a hat and jacket identifying them as an ICE agent, parents claimed on social media. The move was deemed especially offensive in a district where more than 58 pe…

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by Michael Mashburn