Education

Nutrition advocates say the nationwide ‘free meals for all’ program helped address food insecurity and childhood hunger for millions during the first two years of the pandemic. But that’s going away this school year. Now families who are above certain federal income thresholds will once again have to pay for their children’s lunches. Experts say that can be tricky in communities like Moab, where these income thresholds don’t necessarily reflect the cost of living here.

The University of California system is the latest to announce free tuition for native students — but many say colleges shouldn't stop there.

The federal government’s pandemic response program to fund free school meals for all students is set to expire at the end of June.

The program, which starts next year, promises 4-year-olds 10 hours a week of tuition-free preschool in public school classrooms or private settings, such as child care centers, churches, or homes licensed to provide preschool.

An organization in Aurora helps refugee women earn their education certifications, allowing them to become teachers for early childhood classrooms.

Lawmakers are advancing a bill to spend an estimated $693,966 each year to cover tuition at public universities and trade schools for all foster youth growing up in the state. If they enroll, the state will pay for it.

House Bill 1101 expands and makes permanent a program begun in 2017. It would allow classroom teachers, aides, bus drivers, food service workers, and nurses to go back to work for up to six years while still receiving their full pension benefits.

An interview with early childhood policy researcher Meg Franko about the state's high costs and what might bring them down.

The state counted about 1,200 fewer K-12 students this school year. Some analysts expect that, as birth rates continue to decrease, student enrollment in public schools won’t rebound.

Archuleta School District #50 JT in Pagosa Springs, for example, saw more Covid cases in October and November than it did all last year. Its among many districts where cases and outbreaks have been on the rise.