Chalkbeat

A pair of Catholic preschools in the Denver area are fighting for exemptions to Colorado's non-discrimination rules based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Kids who were babies at the height of the pandemic are starting preschool and kindergarten with more behavior problems than before COVID. And those behavior patterns can be a sign of developmental delays. On today’s In The NoCo, we hear more about why some of these kids are struggling – and what schools and teachers are doing to help.

Earlier this summer, the Denver school board unanimously approved a new policy for when and how it would close schools to address declining enrollment. However, concerns from Superintendent Alex Marrero forced the board to revise it this month. Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Melanie Asmar said some of the changes are intended to make the process smoother for administrators, but not necessarily communities the schools are serving.

Technical issues with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid earlier this year led to a double-digit drop in college students filling out the form. Colorado ranked at the bottom with only 37% of students completing the FAFSA for the fall semester according to Chalkbeat Colorado Reporter Jason Gonzales.

Colorado is using a major share of its 2023 settlement with Juul Labs to fund youth mental health and wellness support services. The state is offering $20 million in grants for school and community partnerships that help decrease youth vaping and build social connections. Chalkbeat Colorado Reporter Melanie Asmar joined KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. to get more on the story.

A new bill would create a process to regulate how books or other library materials can be challenged, and who is eligible to challenge them.

According to the 2023 Higher Education Return on Investment Report, Coloradans who hold bachelor’s degrees make significantly more money than residents with only high school diplomas. But what other factors play into the cost-benefit formula? Chalkbeat Colorado Reporter Jason Gonzales spoke with KUNC’s Nikole Robinson Carroll about it.

At the end of December, the U. S. Department of Education is releasing a new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The new application is intended to be shorter and easier to fill out than previous iterations. Jason Gonzalez of Chalkbeat joined us to talk about the details and look ahead to possible impacts on Colorado.

Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer joined KUNC host Nikole Robinson Carroll to discuss the outcomes of the latest school board elections.

Colorado spends a lot of money on K-12 students, but the state is near the bottom of the list nationally for funding adult education. That means some of Colorado’s more economically vulnerable adults aren’t getting the support they need. Chalkbeat higher education reporter Jason Gonzales told us about new laws making a dent in the problem and how lawmakers are scrambling to repair an issue that could jeopardize some access to adult education.