Essential education reporting across America

Healthy schools

High school students dressed in red gather in front of the Colorado State Capitol. One sign emerges from the crowd reading “G(UN)SAFE Enough is Enough.” Downtown office buildings can be seen in the background.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Gun Violence and Schools
As Colorado reels from another school shooting, study finds 1 in 4 teens have quick access to guns
Healthy Kids Colorado survey finds that a quarter of youth say they could get access to a loaded gun within 24 hours. Most teen gun deaths are suicides.
By Markian Hawryluk
 
A group of children ski across a snowy landscape.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Gun Violence and Schools
Social emotional learning hits the slopes after hoax swatting threats put students on edge
On three Wednesdays in a row, hoax swatting threats kept these Aspen students in their classrooms. On the fourth Wednesday, teachers called a ski day.
By Eleanor Bennett
 
Members of the PASO class practice CPR and first aid during a session in July.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Colorado bill would encourage, but not require, CPR training in high schools
Colorado is one of just 10 states that doesn’t require CPR training in high school.
By Helen Santoro
 
free school lunch high school
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Mira qué distritos escolares de Colorado planifican ofrecer comidas gratuitas el próximo año
Un número creciente de distritos escolares de Colorado ofrecerá almuerzo gratis a todos los estudiantes el próximo año, incluidos los de Denver, Douglas County, y Greeley-Evans.
By Ann Schimke
 
school_water5.jpg
Healthy schools Healthy schools
Schools across the U.S. are struggling with lead in their drinking water. When will they get more help?
President Biden said federal funds will pay to replace lead pipes in hundreds of thousands of schools and child care centers. In the meantime, many are dealing with high lead levels now.
By Katheryn Houghton, Kaiser Health News
 
A woman food worker wearing a white apron hands hands a high schooler with long hair a take-out carton from a lunch line, with a kitchen in the background. The worker serves from pans of lunch items, while in the foreground trays feature small containers of carrots, cookies and fruit and other items to grab.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Denver, Douglas County, Academy 20 join districts offering free school meals next year
In December, 8 of 24 Colorado districts surveyed by Chalkbeat were undecided about offering free meals next year. Now, only 2 are still unsure.
By Ann Schimke
 
Dozens of children walk up the steps of a yellow, red, and green school playground and slide down blue slides.
From Chalkbeat Newark Healthy schools
National nonprofit, Newark synagogue to build new playground at Lincoln Elementary
Trust for Public Land and Congregation Ahavas Sholom will build a playground at Lincoln Elementary School at no cost to Newark Public Schools.
By Jessie Gomez
 
A bulldozer moves dirt at a school construction site.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Healthy schools
Tennessee’s K-12 schools need $9 billion in infrastructure investment
Local governments struggle to keep pace with construction costs
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A smiling girl with dark hair pops some food in her mouth as she sits with friends in a crowded lunchroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
El próximo año habrá comidas gratis en la mayoría de los distritos escolares de Colorado. ¿El tuyo será uno de ellos?
Comidas gratis para todos los estudiantes de Colorado. Esa fue la promesa de la Propuesta FF. Averigüa si tu distrito escolar tiene planes de participar en el nuevo programa de comidas.
By Ann Schimke
 
A teacher pours milk into a young student’s cup as three children eat a meal at school.
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education programs fight food insecurity in Philadelphia and beyond
A significant number of Philadelphia’s children struggle to get adequate and consistent meals, recent data show.
By Nora Macaluso
 
Three students in masks sit at a cafeteria table.
COVID and Schools COVID and Schools
Schools see falling student participation in federal free meals program, new survey shows
The share of U.S. schools with more than half of students eating free and reduced-price lunch has dropped from 84% to 69% this year, according to a recent survey.
By Julian Shen-Berro
 
DO NOT USE - PARENTS' REQUEST
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Free meals will be offered in most Colorado school districts next year. Is yours one of them?
Officials in two of Colorado’s largest districts haven’t decided yet whether they’ll participate.
By Ann Schimke
 
Dozens of teenagers gather on a lawn before marching in a protest.
From Chalkbeat Newark Mental Health in Schools
New Jersey students protest policing in schools, call for more counselors, teachers
Dozens of students joined Make the Road NJ youth leaders to protest against policing in schools and demand more mental health resources and restorative justice practices in schools.
By Jessie Gomez
 
A door that is labeled Lunch Room.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Campaigns and elections
Election results: Colorado voters favor Proposition FF, free school meals
Advocates believe most school districts would participate and provide free school meals to all students.
By Yesenia Robles
 
Two men stand in front of an old boiler in a school basement.
From Chalkbeat New York Healthy schools
NYC will convert 100 fuel-burning public schools to all-electric energy by 2030
The city will spend roughly $4 billion over the next seven years to retrofit the school buildings so they no longer burn fossil fuels for heating.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
Drinking fountains with tape over the spouts to prevent use.
From Chalkbeat Newark Healthy schools
Newark board approves $5 million contract to purchase, install touchless water fountains
Newark officials found some school water fountains to be inoperable after testing them for lead. District officials said they will bring in touchless water fountains to schools.
By Jessie Gomez and Catherine Carrera
 
A smiling girl with dark hair pops some food in her mouth as she sits with friends in a crowded lunchroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Propuesta FF: Los electores de Colorado decidirán sobre las comidas escolares gratuitas
La propuesta FF permitiría que los distritos escolares de Colorado ofrecieran comidas escolares gratuitas a todos los estudiantes.
By Yesenia Robles
 
A student wearing a black hoodie and protective mask works at their desk during class.
Mental Health in Schools Mental Health in Schools
States are opting out of a federal teen survey even as youth mental health worsens
Officials cite low participation and new laws that require parent permission. Some advocates say it will make it harder to track signs of poor mental health in teens.
By Daniel Chang, Kaiser Health News
 
Two adults and two students stand in an auditorium at Curie Metropolitan High School in Chicago’s Archer Heights neighborhood.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Community & Wraparound Programs
Chicago school honored with $50,000 grant for mental health work
Curie high school’s robust arts programming and its focus on supporting students impressed the panel of 200 judges.
By Mauricio Peña
 
Young students sit at a cafeteria table eating and talking. A blond girl turns to talk to her neighbor, a boy with short cropped hair.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado Votes 2022
Proposition FF: Colorado voters will decide on free school meals
The ballot measure would allow Colorado school districts to opt in to receive money to offer free school meals for all.
By Yesenia Robles
 
Drinking fountains with tape over the spouts to prevent use.
From Chalkbeat Newark COVID safety
Newark students, teachers: Help us examine access to water in your school
Newark school officials say all schools have water fountains in operation. But some tell us they still don’t see water fountains back on in their schools. Help us investigate this.
By Catherine Carrera
 
A four-floor building with red brick and exposed floors is housed in a fenced-off property.
From Chalkbeat Newark Healthy schools
District says Newark high school of architecture, design will open next fall, despite state stop-work order
District officials anticipate the opening of the new high school of architecture and interior design for next fall despite the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development issuing a stop-work order on the construction site.
By Jessie Gomez
 
Children, wearing winter jackets and carrying backpacks, walk into Camden Street Elementary School.
From Chalkbeat Newark Healthy schools
Newark approved for new schools as part of state project to address overcrowding
Newark Public Schools will receive two new schools as part of the state’s larger initiative to support some of New Jersey’s poorest school districts.
By Jessie Gomez
 
A man with gray hair and glasses speaks
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Student & School Performance
MSCS officials rebut mayor’s comments linking attendance, enrollment declines to juvenile crime
Strickland argues that parents and families have ‘allowed’ thousands of teens to skip or drop out of school
By Samantha West
 
Students walk by large Portacool Cooling systems set up in the hallways of KIPP Denver Collegiate High School on September 24, 2018 in Denver, Colorado.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Some Colorado schools cancel class amid high heat forecast
Schools without air conditioning in Denver and around Colorado cancel classes as temperatures rise to high 90s.
By Melanie Asmar
 
Students pass a box fan as they walk out of their gym room. Only the students’ legs are visible.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
These Denver schools still don’t have air conditioning
With temperatures climbing into the high 80s during the first week of school, 48 Denver campuses still don’t have air conditioning.
By Melanie Asmar
 
Una ley estatal nueva requerirá que aproximadamente 5,800 escuelas primarias y centros para cuidado de niños en Colorado hagan pruebas de plomo en el agua e instalen filtros, o que hagan las reparaciones. 
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Pruebas de plomo en agua son requisito ahora para escuelas y centros de cuidado
El plomo es una neurotoxina dañina que puede causar discapacidades de aprendizaje y problemas de comportamiento.
By Ann Schimke
 
A woman wearing a yellow shirt seated on a black metal folding chair receives a shot in the arm from a nurse wearing a face mask and gloves.
Federal policy and reform Federal policy and reform
Kids are at low risk for monkeypox, but schools can take precautions, CDC says
In most cases, students who’ve been exposed to a person infected with monkeypox shouldn’t be excluded from school or other activities.
By Kalyn Belsha
 
A boy’s face can be seen peering out from a school bus seat. Other children are in the surrounding seats. The view is from inside the bus, looking down the center aisle. Another school bus can be seen out the back window.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Colorado hopes cash infusion spurs electric school bus adoption
Colorado school districts can apply for funding to cover electric school buses and charging infrastructure from state or federal programs.
By Erica Meltzer
 
An athletic trainer is crouched by the sidelines, watching football players on the field.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Healthy schools
When it comes to athletic trainers, most Chicago Public Schools athletes miss out
Just six public high schools in Chicago have athletic trainers. All are on the more affluent North Side and serve fewer low-income students than the rest of the district.
By Alex Burstein
 
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