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Free school meal programs boost student participation in 2023–24.
Texas approves major private school voucher program.
California leads in expanding transitional kindergarten access.
Research & Practice
Food Research & Action Center: The Reach of School Breakfast and Lunch During the 2023-2024 School Year
New research from the Food Research & Action Center indicates that students’ participation in school meals increases with free breakfast and lunch programs. In the 2023-2024 school year, 8% more students received free or reduced-price breakfast, and 6.8% more students received free or reduced-price lunch. During the 2022-2023 school year, there was a drop in school meal participation because nationwide child nutrition waivers expired. The report suggests that the increase in participants can be attributed to an increase in the number of schools offering free meals through the Community Eligibility Provision and state Healthy School Meals For All policies. Currently, eight states have policies to make free meals available regardless of household income, and 20 other states have similar legislation pending. Advocates of expanding access to free or reduced-price lunch say that offering no cost meals reduces stigma towards students and eliminates school meal debt, and the report recommends improving the process to allow children to receive free school meals without an application.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Decreased Likelihood of Schooling as a Consequence of Tropical Cyclones: Evidence from 13 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This study examines the relationship between extreme climate events and consistent schooling. Researchers analyzed 5.4 million people living in 13 low- and middle-income countries who experienced a tropical cyclone between 1954 and 2010. Results indicate that exposure to tropical cyclones at preschool age is linked to a lifetime of no schooling. This correlation is especially true for girls, communities that are less likely to be hit by cyclones, and areas with already low schooling rates. 79,000 children in this sample were impacted by school closures from cyclones, totaling a loss of 1.1 million years of school. This lack of schooling is due to a variety of causes, including destruction to infrastructure, children needing to stay home to fix damages, and displacement of families. As severe tropical cyclones – and other disruptions like floods and fires – are projected to increase with climate change, this research demonstrates the need to invest in climate mitigation efforts to ensure children continue to have access to schooling after storms.
Policy
K-12 Dive: $1B to Support Student Mental Health is Gone
The Education Department will not renew $1 billion in grants for school mental health professionals across districts in the U.S and terminate current allocated funds. The grants affected were enacted through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, aimed at supporting students after the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The Education Department shared they were ceasing the funds because of the program’s “conflict” with the Trump administration’s priorities, such as race-based counseling and “undermining the well-being of students.” Instead, the department wants to focus on “evidence-based practices” to improve students’ well-being. School districts most impacted by this, such as those in the Southwest Arkansas Education Cooperative, will need alternative mental health support for their students, a key component of school violence prevention. School districts can appeal within 30 days, and the policy will go into effect at the end of the current grant period.
The Texas Tribune: Private School Vouchers are Now Law in Texas
Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2, legislation that will use taxpayer money to fund private school education and other school-related costs. After a decades-long battle, the law will go into effect on September 1, making it one of the largest school voucher initiatives in the United States. Families can receive $10,000 to send their children to private school, which is 85% of the funding public schools are given by the government for each student. Children with disabilities are eligible for an additional $30,000. The bill is designed to help families have more schooling options, which would co-exist with Texas’ public education system. Opponents to the bill argue that the programs would negatively impact public schools the most, thus disproportionately affecting low-income families. Additionally, families who cannot prove their child is a U.S. citizen are ineligible to participate. The voucher program will begin in the 2026-27 academic year.
New York Times: New York Bans Smartphones in Schools, Joining National Movement
New York has joined 12 other states in banning smartphones for students during school hours. More than 700 K-12 school districts will prohibit student usage of cell phones and personal devices with internet access, like smartwatches. The plan will also provide $13 million for districts to create spaces to store students’ devices for the school day. Students who need their devices for medical or accessibility reasons will continue to be permitted to use their phones. This movement is fueled by concerns over chronically online youth, cyberbullying, and an increase in mental health crises for students. Bipartisan advocates champion the cause, which has been backed by nonprofits, teachers’ unions, and more than 60% of voters, according to one poll. Others suggest that smartphone use is not necessarily the cause of distractions in classrooms, and the policy could lead to other disadvantages for students.
Around the Nation
Chalkbeat: After-school Programs in the U.S. are Closing, but Michigan is Finding a Way to Keep Some Afloat
Many after-school programs flourished in the previous academic years, fueled by pandemic recovery aid. However, in the 2024-2025 school year, after-school programs are struggling to reach as many students due to less federal funding. These programs have long waitlists and not enough staffing to provide a quality experience. Several states, including Michigan, are working to fill the gap with state funding. These federal cuts have impacted the 14% of school-aged children who attend after-school programs and receive academic and social enrichment. In a survey by Afterschool Alliance, 80% of program leaders expressed concern about their after-school programs’ future. Studies have indicated that after-school programs increase social emotional skills, improve grades, and lower risk of criminal activity, especially if students show up regularly. However, some research suggests that after-school programs have little impact on student outcomes, and therefore, some argue that they should not be funded with federal money.
See also: The Future of Youth Development: Building Systems and Strengthening Programs
LAist: California is Leading the Country in Public Pre-K Expansion, Report Finds
California has the highest enrollment of four-year-olds in transitional kindergarten in the United States. Transitional kindergarten, created from the 2010 Kindergarten Readiness Act, changed the cutoff of kindergarten and required schools to start a new program for children whose birthdays were between September and December. In 2024, 35,000 additional children enrolled in the program compared to the prior school year. This increase is due to state officials working to achieve universal transitional kindergarten in the fall, with hopes to serve three-year-olds in the future. As the program grows, school districts are concerned about not having enough staff and strong infrastructure to support students. Additionally, the “State of Preschool” report, created by the National Institute for Early Education Research, scored California’s program a three out of ten on quality, primarily because of large class sizes and student to staff ratios. The governor has allocated $1.5 billion to attempt to improve these statistics for the next school year.
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