DENVER - Colorado was able to increase student participation in Afterschool Nutrition Programs in 2020, even during school closures, according to new data from the Food Research and Action Center.

Crystal FitzSimons - director of school and out-of-school-time programs for the group - said programs work best when they combine healthy snacks and suppers with engaging activities, and Colorado providers helped keep students' education path open when they pivoted to curbside pickup and other creative ways to deliver meals.

"They were doing virtual, either activities or they were sending activities home with families to do," said FitzSimons. "And so they were trying to support educational enrichment at a time when so many kids were experiencing learning disruptions."

Colorado improved its national ranking for connecting kids with after-school nutrition programs from 41st to 16th.

Still, researchers found that students in low-income households and in communities of color were disproportionately impacted when schools closed, and educators struggled to regroup online.

As the nation moves forward, FitzSimons said after-school suppers and activities can play an important role helping students overcome significant educational and health impacts of the pandemic. She said working parents can also benefit from the peace of mind knowing their kids are in a safe space.

"The hours between 3 and 6, that is actually the time when kids are most likely to get in trouble, to engage in risky behavior," said FitzSimons. "So keeping kids in safe, enrichment environments during that time is critical."

Schools and community sponsors were able to connect an additional 37,000 students per day on average with after-school suppers compared to 2019. Nearly 1.5 million low-income children received meals through after-school nutrition programs during last year.

Changes to a student-loan program for public-service employees is transforming the lives of Montanans who had their debts forgiven.

In October, President Joe Biden's administration overhauled the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which erases student debt for public servants after they make 10 years of payments. But certain loan programs and repayment plans didn't qualify for forgiveness, a major disappointment for many debt holders.

Violet Hopkins, academic adviser at the University of Montana, was one of the 500,000 Americans for whom the latest changes opened doors, and saw $80,000 in debt negated.

"I was in shock," Hopkins recounted. "I mean, just sort of like making sounds at my husband, like they forgave all of it. It's gone. It's all gone."

Organizations have been pushing for alterations to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which won a victory in the state Supreme Court in 2020. The decision allowed borrowers to bring state-law claims against their loan servicer for failing to accurately account for their student-loan payments.

Corey Cutler, a high school math teacher in Butte, was paying more than $300 a month in student loans, which were supposed to end in 2026. Last year, he got an email which took a big weight off his shoulders.

"It said, 'Congratulations. On Oct. 6, the U.S. Department of Education changed the law and has backtracked, and you have successfully made your 120 payments. Everything else is forgiven,'" Cutler explained. "Oh, man, that made my day. Holy cow."

Hopkins added it opens up many things for her future.

"For me, when my kid decides to go to college, I will be able to help him because I'm not going to be strapped with my own loans," Hopkins noted. "We also own a home. I can dedicate more money to paying off my house. Like I can breathe again."

Public-service workers can apply for a waiver to ensure all their student-loan payments count toward the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, regardless of loan program or repayment plan. Borrowers must apply for the waiver by Oct. 31.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law on Wednesday to provide direct support to Pennsylvania youth experiencing educational instability, ensuring they have a clear pathway to high school graduation.

Senate Bill 324 was introduced by Sen. Wayne Langherholc, R-Bedford County. It provides graduation planning and a smoother transfer of academic credits, among other resources for young people in Pennsylvania who are experiencing homelessness or who are in the foster-care or juvenile-justice systems.

Rachael Miller, policy director at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said many students face challenges outside their control.

"For example, changes in physical homes or moves between counties and ultimately disruption in their education," Miller outlined. "The legislation really levels the playing field for disadvantaged youths who often experience poorer outcomes than their peers based on these unique experiences."

The bill passed earlier this month and was presented to the governor last week. Only 75% of Pennsylvania kids in foster care receive their high school diploma or GED degree by age 21, according to 2018 data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Miller noted the legislation also creates a point-of-contact person for the students, who will help them coordinate classes, connect with mental-health resources, and confirm academic records and credits accurately transfer to their new school.

"This point of contact will ensure that the social-services agencies that are involved are at the table," Miller explained. "Also, ensuring that when a student is preparing for graduation that there is a solid graduation plan so that the student does have the opportunity to graduate on time."

The law also codifies protections for students, so they are not penalized for their circumstances, such as situations where they do not have a school uniform or waiving fees required for extracurricular activities.

Parents, educators and school nurses are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to take steps toward a comprehensive state-run COVID-19 protection plan.

They say with the Omicron variant causing surges in hospitalizations across Massachusetts, the Commonwealth needs a state-run in-school vaccination program, state-sponsored distribution of high-quality masks and a state-coordinated, state-financed and transparent testing program for every school district.

Jacqueline Velez, parent of a public school student in Springfield, is advocating for change.

"You would not send a fireman into a burning building without protective gear, police on the streets without a means to communicate with their counterparts," Velez asserted. "So during a global pandemic, why would we send teachers and public school staff into school buildings without the best possible accommodations we can send them in with?"

COVID-19 vaccination rates among children five to 11 years old are low in some of the Commonwealth's poorest communities. Fewer than 20% of younger children are vaccinated in Athol, Fall River, New Bedford, Brockton and Springfield.

Cara Berg Powers, interim executive director of the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance, said some schools and school districts are better prepared than others. She noted while millions of dollars in federal funds are coming to schools, some have critical repair backlogs and ventilation needs, and will not have any leftover funds for personal protective equipment, testing or vaccinations.

"Inequity is inevitable when we do not have a comprehensive strategy and ask districts to take things on themselves, ask families to take things on themselves, and ask 8-year-olds like my daughter to be public health experts," Berg Powers contended.

Baker announced plans last week to provide rapid at-home test kits to schools and child-care providers, as the existing state-run testing system has been strained by the latest surge.