The U.S. Department of Education released a significantly pared-down annual education data compendium under the congressionally mandated Condition of Education report. The 2026 highlights cover only 17 of 702 indicators for which the department’s statistics wing collects data. The shift follows mass layoffs at the agency in 2025, a missed June 1 deadline for the annual report, and a move toward rolling data updates throughout the year. The new release still surfaces major system facts: public K-12 enrollment declined about 2% over the decade to 49.4 million in 2024, with declines concentrated in elementary and middle grades after COVID. Federal data also show how early education participation and spending vary sharply across states, with per-pupil spending ranging from $12,400 in Idaho to $33,600 in New York. Enrollment changes are tied to both policy differences and shifting state demographics. For higher education leaders who depend on downstream K-12 preparation signals for enrollment projections and academic support, data reporting capacity and indicator coverage are consequential.