The Weekly Connect 01/27/2026

The Washington Post: Parents are Cutting Back on Child Care as Costs Stretch Budgets 
A survey from the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy found that one in five households report having to cut back or change their child care due to unaffordable costs. More than 2,000 households completed the survey throughout New York City, with some also participating in in-depth interviews with the researchers. About 15% of households with children younger than 12 had to stop using or cut back child care hours, and a similar number had to resort to “inadequate” child care arrangements because there were no other options. Single mothers were the most impacted by unaffordable child care, with 37% cutting back or using less desirable options. Black and Hispanic parents, younger parents, and those without a college degree were also disproportionately affected. The researchers aim to expand their survey beyond the city and gather longitudinal data to examine patterns of child care hardships.

UChicago Consortium on School Research: Connection, Trust, and Learning: Student Attendance in the Middle and High School Grades Following the COVID-19 Pandemic 
Researchers examined the pandemic’s impact on students’ absentee rates and how it relates to academic achievement and school climate. Utilizing data from Chicago Public Schools, the study measured students enrolled in the district pre- and post- pandemic. Research indicated that chronic absenteeism increased by 20% post-pandemic. Students who missed school had lower academic achievement outcomes both pre- and post-pandemic; however, the effect was larger after the pandemic. Safety and parent engagement in schools increased children’s likelihood of attending school. Attendance was also higher in schools where students had strong peer relationships and better teachers. The research highlights how attendance impacts student achievement and school satisfaction. While reasons for absences may differ between school communities, schools can work to improve school climate and address barriers to increase student attendance.

K-12 Dive: Bipartisan K-12 Budget Proposal Would Stall Gutting of Education Department 
Senate and House leaders proposed a bipartisan agreement to fund the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal year 2026. The $79 billion would include increases in funding for special education programming, rural education, and Impact Aid. The proposal would also prevent the department from transferring required program responsibilities to other federal agencies and require the government to give grants to states and districts on time and maintain adequate staffing levels. Through this proposal, lawmakers are rejecting the Trump Administration’s efforts to shift program responsibilities to other departments and merge multiple education grant programs into one. The funding plan is included along with budgets for other departments, as well as funding for early childhood education, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, and Head Start. The proposal, which has been praised by leaders across political lines, will be voted on by January 30, when the current continuing resolution that ended the federal government shutdown expires. 

AP News: Trump Signs Law Returning Whole Milk to School Lunches
President Donald Trump signed a bill that brings whole milk, as well as nondairy milk that meets the nutritional standard of milk, to cafeterias. The change will impact 30 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch program and overturns provisions of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed during the Obama administration. Proponents of the bill believe that whole milk was unnecessarily “targeted,” and that whole milk is both more nutritious and more well-liked by children. Some research has found that there are no meaningful differences in health outcomes between low-fat and high-fat dairy, while others have suggested that children who drink whole milk are less likely to be overweight or develop obesity. The changes to school meal guidelines may take place as soon as next school year, though school and dairy industry officials will need to reassess student interest in whole milk and its impact on production.

The Hechinger Report: School Closures are Accelerating in Rural America. But Research on Whether They Help Students is Mixed 
The number of students in U.S. public schools dropped about 2.5 percent between 2019 and 2023, due to declining birth rates and more students enrolling in private schools. The change in student enrollment has most significantly impacted rural areas, where small schools often play a large role in community resources and opportunities. Vermont is the nation’s most rural state and has lost 20% of its public school population in the past two decades. The state’s governor and education secretary have called for consolidating districts and rethinking school funding and curricula. A plan calling for a minimum of 4,000 students per district, which was only met by one of the state’s 119 districts, was passed in the summer. However, critics fear that consolidating schools will leave communities with less say over local school decisions and cause closures in more disadvantaged areas. Some researchers found that consolidating schools was associated with increased student test scores, while other studies suggest that school mergers are linked to lower academic performance, more absences, and behavioral issues. 

Chalkbeat: More than 7,000 Detroit Students Were Paid for Their Attendance Last Year
Almost half of all high schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District in Michigan were paid for their attendance last year, a strategy to curb chronic absenteeism rates. Daily attendance for students increased by 2.6 percent, and chronic absenteeism declined by 7.4 percent. Over 7,300 students got a $200 Visa gift card at least once in the past academic year by showing up to each class every school day in a 10-day cycle between January and March 2025, totaling $4 million worth of gift cards to students. The school district has high rates of chronic absenteeism due to barriers such as housing instability, unreliable transportation, and health concerns. In addition to financial incentives, the school district also focuses on wraparound services and has hired more attendance and academic interventionists. This year, students will receive $100 gift cards for perfect attendance in a five-day cycle, with an opportunity to earn up to $1,000. 

The Washington Post: High School Students Fix Up Cars, Then Hand the Keys to Single Mothers 
Students at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Virginia, learn how to revive old vehicles and give them to single mothers for free. The school’s automotive technology program has been running for the past eight years. They are trained on various tasks, such as brake and tire repairs, heating and cooling system services, and battery testing. The program is done in partnership with Giving Words, a local nonprofit that supports single mothers through car repairs and other donations. The program has had a profound impact on the students, which has helped them build “character and empathy.” One student shared about a moment last month where he presented a vehicle to a woman with a baby, “We raised the garage doors, and we all clapped for her… I put the license plate on the car for her, and she had a little baby in her arms.” By knowing who will receive the vehicle, “it gives you more of a purpose.”