The Weekly Connect 8/31/2026

JAMA Network Open: Loss of Access to Universal Free School Meals and Body Mass Index in Students 
Previous research has found that universal free school meals (UFSM) are linked to increased participation in school meal programs and better student health outcomes, such as lower obesity rates, body mass index, and high blood pressure. The present study compared students from low- and low-middle-income households in schools that previously had UFSM and lost funding compared to schools that continued to have funding in the 2022-23 school year. The researchers found that the loss of UFSM was associated with less favorable body mass index z-scores among youth. This finding was more prevalent for students from low-middle-income households, who were not individually eligible for free or reduced-price meals compared to their lower-income peers, yet still need financial support to access nutritious food and combat high rates of food insecurity. These findings indicate the importance of expanding UFSM to low-poverty schools, as it may lead to improved health outcomes among students. 

The Hechinger Report: A National Divide Over Holding Back Students: Some States Do It Young, Others Wait Until High School
A new analysis by Big Local News at Stanford University and the Hechinger Report examines differences in how states retain, or hold back, students. Across the country, more than two dozen states have laws requiring or allowing schools to retain third-grade students if they do not read on grade level. Less than two percent of students repeated a grade level in 2021-22, down from three percent a decade earlier. Schools in the South held students back more than any other region. Boys were more likely to be held back than girls, and Black boys were retained at nearly three times the rate of white boys, even as retention rates declined over the years. Research on retention is mixed; some studies show that students who repeat a grade benefit very little, while others show that retention is effective when combined with tutoring and academic support. 

K-12 Dive: Efforts to Keep ICE off of School Grounds Ramp Up 
School staff and families continue to be concerned about immigration enforcement on and near school property. In the 2025-26 school year, there were at least 17 reported incidents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity on school property. State officials have enacted different methods to limit ICE agent activity near schools. In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act, which prevents warrantless immigrant arrests at schools, child care centers, and other sensitive locations. In California, Teachers Los Angeles and a local grassroots organization are working to patrol and document federal immigration enforcement vehicles to help students before and after school and provide a rapid response in case ICE officers are present. At least six states have introduced legislation that would monitor children without permanent legal status or exclude them from public education, though none have been passed yet. Other states and school districts have turned to lawsuits to address the federal government’s recent changes to immigration enforcement policy.  

National Public Radio: 15 States Have Laws That Allow Corporal Punishment in Schools. Here’s Where, and Why
The U.S. has no federal laws banning the use of corporal punishment, which is defined as “anything done to cause pain or discomfort” in response to a child’s behavior. Instead, states and local districts decide what is an appropriate punishment, with many requiring parental consent. The most recent information from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data found that 1 in over 2,000 students is reported to have experienced corporal punishment. Almost all of these reported instances occurred in eight states. An Education Department analysis of the use of corporal punishment found that boys were more likely to receive corporal punishment than girls, with white, Black, Native American, and Alaska Native boys all experiencing higher rates. Corporal punishment is often associated with students having more aggression and higher rates of anxiety, depression, and addiction. Often, communities that use corporal punishment view it as a part of a cultural expectation for raising children and what has been passed down from earlier generations. See also: OCR Calls on Schools to ‘Stop Racial Balancing’ in New Discipline Guidance

The Hechinger Report: Most Kids Miss Recommended Screening For Autism, Speech Delays
In 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics released recommendations that young children complete development screeners with their pediatrician, which is critical to diagnosing a child’s disability or delay. In 2023-2024, only 36% of parents reported that they or their young children had filled out a screener in the past year. To improve access, communities have created new initiatives to increase the number of families participating in screenings, which can take place in a library, zoo, or farmers’ market. These programs are supported by Help Me Grow, a national network of organizations that promote child development and aim to make screenings more accessible. At Betts Branch Library in Syracuse, New York, children played while adults completed a developmental screener. Later, families received materials explaining the results and sharing resources that help support healthy child development. Parents reported that the event helped them feel more comfortable raising concerns and knowing which questions to ask. 

Education Next: The Trailblazing School on the Frontier of Artificial Intelligence
Students at Washington Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C., participated in a Hackathon where they made AI chatbots to address real-world problems. Members of the student government association built a bot for students to share concerns with school leadership. A senior created a personal AI receptionist to answer emails and phone calls and organize calendars. Washington Leadership Academy is D.C.’s first computer science charter school. Freshmen are required to take a computer science course that includes core concepts in AI and machine learning. Other courses incorporate hands-on learning opportunities and discussions on AI’s limitations. Ninety-nine percent of the school’s enrollment is students of color and from low-income households, groups that historically have not had access to new technologies. In the fall, two-thirds of students reported learning strategies for using AI tools effectively, and 70% of students shared that AI is both helpful and harmful to their schoolwork.