Big Local News
@biglocalnews.bsky.social
Data, tools and collaborations that empower journalists to better cover their community. A project at Stanford University.
School districts across Minnesota are consolidating. This isn't a new problem. But when a community loses its school, residents can feel like they are losing part of themselves, too. Story by @inn.org member, KAXE 👉 www.kaxe.org/local-news/2...
When rural districts combine, wins for budgets and students come with identity loss
The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools increasingly collaborate.
www.kaxe.org
September 18, 2026 at 3:52 PM
School districts across Minnesota are consolidating. This isn't a new problem. But when a community loses its school, residents can feel like they are losing part of themselves, too. Story by @inn.org member, KAXE 👉 www.kaxe.org/local-news/2...
Mark your calendars! 👉 Big Local News is hosting virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. PT.
Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us via Zoom and bring your questions. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us via Zoom and bring your questions. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Need help with your data-driven story? Mark your calendar for our September Virtual Open Office Hours
Date: September 25 Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time
biglocalnews.org
September 16, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Mark your calendars! 👉 Big Local News is hosting virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. PT.
Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us via Zoom and bring your questions. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us via Zoom and bring your questions. biglocalnews.org/content/news...
In Jefferson County, Miss., 1 in 3 children is food insecure. Schools are meeting these needs by providing children with regular meals and families with childcare and transportation. More from @mississippitoday.org 👇 mississippitoday.org/2026/09/15/j...
Jefferson County schools address hunger - Mississippi Today
Public schools are key to ensuring children have consistent meals.
mississippitoday.org
September 15, 2026 at 9:23 PM
In Jefferson County, Miss., 1 in 3 children is food insecure. Schools are meeting these needs by providing children with regular meals and families with childcare and transportation. More from @mississippitoday.org 👇 mississippitoday.org/2026/09/15/j...
Data on grade retentions shows that, since 2012, boys were held back more than girls, and Black boys were held back at nearly three times the rate of white boys — a gap that did not narrow even as retentions across the country have declined. ✍️ @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/who-gets-hel...
Who gets held back? Black boys, by a 3-1 ratio compared to white boys
Boys overall are held back more than girls
hechingerreport.org
September 9, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Data on grade retentions shows that, since 2012, boys were held back more than girls, and Black boys were held back at nearly three times the rate of white boys — a gap that did not narrow even as retentions across the country have declined. ✍️ @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/who-gets-hel...
Rural schools provide students with not just education but also hot meals, clothing, and social services. But, in Ohio, at least 120 of such schools closed over the past decade. Know more about schools in Butler County, OH, via @inn.org member Oxford Free Press 👇 www.oxfreepress.com/butler-count...
Butler County schools offer more than just education
But buildings are closing and enrollment is trending downward
www.oxfreepress.com
September 8, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Rural schools provide students with not just education but also hot meals, clothing, and social services. But, in Ohio, at least 120 of such schools closed over the past decade. Know more about schools in Butler County, OH, via @inn.org member Oxford Free Press 👇 www.oxfreepress.com/butler-count...
📢 Mark your calendars! Big Local News is hosting virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT. Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us and bring your questions! biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Need help with your data-driven story? Mark your calendar for our September Virtual Open Office Hours
Date: September 25 Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time
biglocalnews.org
September 7, 2026 at 1:07 PM
📢 Mark your calendars! Big Local News is hosting virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT. Whether you're a data rookie or a pro, we're here to guide you or explore collaborations with your data projects. Join us and bring your questions! biglocalnews.org/content/news...
📰 Need help with data-related tasks? The Big Local News team is here to help. Join our virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. PT.
Submit your questions in advance or ask them live (just jump in our Zoom meeting!). Details here: biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Submit your questions in advance or ask them live (just jump in our Zoom meeting!). Details here: biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Need help with your data-driven story? Mark your calendar for our September Virtual Open Office Hours
Date: September 25 Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time
biglocalnews.org
September 4, 2026 at 4:39 PM
📰 Need help with data-related tasks? The Big Local News team is here to help. Join our virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. PT.
Submit your questions in advance or ask them live (just jump in our Zoom meeting!). Details here: biglocalnews.org/content/news...
Submit your questions in advance or ask them live (just jump in our Zoom meeting!). Details here: biglocalnews.org/content/news...
More than a decade of data shows that boys are likelier than girls to repeat a grade, and Black boys are held back at nearly 3x the rate of white boys. Retention rates are falling, but this gap between Black and white boys stayed consistent. @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/who-gets-hel...
Who gets held back? Black boys, by a 3-1 ratio compared to white boys
Boys overall are held back more than girls
hechingerreport.org
September 4, 2026 at 12:07 AM
More than a decade of data shows that boys are likelier than girls to repeat a grade, and Black boys are held back at nearly 3x the rate of white boys. Retention rates are falling, but this gap between Black and white boys stayed consistent. @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/who-gets-hel...
Shoutout to WAMC Northeast Public Radio and City Cast DC, who recently published immigration stories using data from the Deportation Data Project. Sarah Cohen, senior data journalist at Big Local News, helped reporters parse through and understand the data for these stories. 👇
September 2, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Shoutout to WAMC Northeast Public Radio and City Cast DC, who recently published immigration stories using data from the Deportation Data Project. Sarah Cohen, senior data journalist at Big Local News, helped reporters parse through and understand the data for these stories. 👇
🗓️ Cheryl Phillips and Scott Klein will join @inmaorg.bsky.social on Sept. 2 for a discussion on emerging infrastructure, open-source approaches, and industry standards for the AI era. What can we build if we do it together?
Sign up for the webinar here: community.inma.org/event-calend...
Sign up for the webinar here: community.inma.org/event-calend...
Radical Collaboration: Building Shared Tools for the AI Era
Cheryl Phillips, Director, Big Local News at Stanford Journalism, and Scott Klein, Founder, Open Journalism
community.inma.org
September 1, 2026 at 2:45 PM
🗓️ Cheryl Phillips and Scott Klein will join @inmaorg.bsky.social on Sept. 2 for a discussion on emerging infrastructure, open-source approaches, and industry standards for the AI era. What can we build if we do it together?
Sign up for the webinar here: community.inma.org/event-calend...
Sign up for the webinar here: community.inma.org/event-calend...
North Carolina has one of the highest ninth-grade retention rates in the country. Schools and parents are struggling with how best to ensure students are ready to move on to the next grade. 👉 @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/news/educati...
Make Or Break
Ninth graders in N.C. are held back more often than students in other parts of the country. How can schools ensure they're ready to move on?
www.theassemblync.com
August 31, 2026 at 11:34 PM
North Carolina has one of the highest ninth-grade retention rates in the country. Schools and parents are struggling with how best to ensure students are ready to move on to the next grade. 👉 @theassemblync.bsky.social www.theassemblync.com/news/educati...
Reposted by Big Local News
Boys overall are held back more than girls.
Who gets held back? Black boys, by a 3-1 ratio compared to white boys
More than a decade of data from schools across the U.S. shows stark divides in who is held back: Boys are more likely than girls to repeat a grade, and Black boys are held back at nearly three times the rate of white boys. Overall, schools are holding back fewer students than they were more than a decade ago, according to data from 2011-12 to 2021-22 analyzed by Big Local News at Stanford University, in partnership with The Hechinger Report. Despite retention rates falling, the gap between Black boys and white boys stayed consistent.
hechingerreport.org
August 27, 2026 at 5:32 AM
Boys overall are held back more than girls.
Reposted by Big Local News
🧵: I've been looking at grade retention in NC in collaboration with @biglocalnews.bsky.social & @hechingerreport.org. The most recent available federal data, from 2021-22, show NC ninth graders retained at one of the highest rates in the country. www.theassemblync.com/news/educati...
Make Or Break
Ninth graders in N.C. are held back more often than students in other parts of the country. How can schools ensure they're ready to move on?
www.theassemblync.com
August 27, 2026 at 2:53 PM
🧵: I've been looking at grade retention in NC in collaboration with @biglocalnews.bsky.social & @hechingerreport.org. The most recent available federal data, from 2021-22, show NC ninth graders retained at one of the highest rates in the country. www.theassemblync.com/news/educati...
Data on grade retentions shows that since 2012, boys were held back more than girls, and Black boys were held back at nearly three times the rate of white boys — a gap that did not narrow even as retentions across the country have declined. @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
https://hechingerreport.org/a-national-divide-over-holding-back-students-some-states-do-it-young-others-wait-until-high-school/
Fewer students are being held back, according to a Big Local News/Hechinger Report analysis. Research on the impact on students is mixed
hechingerreport.org
August 26, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Data on grade retentions shows that since 2012, boys were held back more than girls, and Black boys were held back at nearly three times the rate of white boys — a gap that did not narrow even as retentions across the country have declined. @hechingerreport.org hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
📊 Join us for Big Local News' virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT. Get help with data-driven stories, public record requests, data analysis, and more. We're here to support you! Check out all the details here:
Need help with your data-driven story? Mark your calendar for our September Virtual Open Office Hours
Date: September 25 Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time
biglocalnews.org
August 24, 2026 at 3:12 PM
📊 Join us for Big Local News' virtual open office hours on Sept. 25, Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT. Get help with data-driven stories, public record requests, data analysis, and more. We're here to support you! Check out all the details here:
Mississippi has one of the highest 3rd grade retention rates in the county. But its 2013 policy holding back kids who can't pass the state reading test has become a model, as it paired retention with literary coaches and teacher training. @mississippitoday.org mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/r...
Mississippi stands out for reading and grade retention
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates.
mississippitoday.org
August 21, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Mississippi has one of the highest 3rd grade retention rates in the county. But its 2013 policy holding back kids who can't pass the state reading test has become a model, as it paired retention with literary coaches and teacher training. @mississippitoday.org mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/r...
Hawaii holds back 9th graders at one of the highest rates in the country — about 1 in 10 students failed their freshman year in 2021-22, more than double the national rate. But younger Hawaii students rarely repeat a grade. @civilbeat.bsky.social 👇 www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/hawa...
Hawaiʻi Freshmen Failing: 1 In 13 Repeated 9th Grade Last Year
Hawaiʻi has held back high school freshmen at a higher rate than nearly any other state.
www.civilbeat.org
August 21, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Hawaii holds back 9th graders at one of the highest rates in the country — about 1 in 10 students failed their freshman year in 2021-22, more than double the national rate. But younger Hawaii students rarely repeat a grade. @civilbeat.bsky.social 👇 www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/hawa...
Reposted by Big Local News
For early grade reading gains, states look to Mississippi and consider holding students back
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates in the country. A related policy was a key part of the state's 2013…
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/reading-third-grade-retention/
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates in the country. A related policy was a key part of the state's 2013…
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/reading-third-grade-retention/
For early grade reading gains, states look to Mississippi and consider holding students back
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates in the country. A related policy was a key part of the state's 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act.
mississippitoday.org
August 20, 2026 at 1:02 PM
For early grade reading gains, states look to Mississippi and consider holding students back
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates in the country. A related policy was a key part of the state's 2013…
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/reading-third-grade-retention/
Mississippi has one of the highest third grade retention rates in the country. A related policy was a key part of the state's 2013…
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/08/20/reading-third-grade-retention/
Reposted by Big Local News
Hawaiʻi has held back high school freshmen at a higher rate than nearly any other state.
Hawaiʻi Freshmen Failing: Ninth Grade Repeater Rate Among Nation’s Highest
Hawaiʻi has held back high school freshmen at a higher rate than nearly any other state.
www.civilbeat.org
August 20, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Hawaiʻi has held back high school freshmen at a higher rate than nearly any other state.
Research on grade retention shows little consensus on whether holding struggling students back helps them catch up. Our analysis found that retentions are declining nationally, but school districts throughout the country approach policies in very different ways. www.seattletimes.com/education-la...
A national divide over holding back students: WA waits until high school
The rate at which students were held back fell across the U.S. from the 2011-12 to 2021-22 school years, according to a Big Local News/Hechinger Report analysis.
www.seattletimes.com
August 20, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Research on grade retention shows little consensus on whether holding struggling students back helps them catch up. Our analysis found that retentions are declining nationally, but school districts throughout the country approach policies in very different ways. www.seattletimes.com/education-la...
Rural schools serve as community hubs, hosting food pantries, sports programs, public meetings, and other activities. Our first story in a reporting series with the Rural News Network looks at what Mat-Su in Alaska stands to lose as schools close.
www.matsusentinel.com/in-mat-su-ne...
www.matsusentinel.com/in-mat-su-ne...
In Mat-Su, neighborhood schools double as community hubs. Closing them has sweeping impacts.
From emergency shelters and food banks to sports and church services, school buildings across Mat-Su serve as important community connectors, residents and officials said.
www.matsusentinel.com
August 19, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Rural schools serve as community hubs, hosting food pantries, sports programs, public meetings, and other activities. Our first story in a reporting series with the Rural News Network looks at what Mat-Su in Alaska stands to lose as schools close.
www.matsusentinel.com/in-mat-su-ne...
www.matsusentinel.com/in-mat-su-ne...
Reposted by Big Local News
Fewer students are being held back, according to a Big Local News/Hechinger Report analysis. Research on the impact on students is mixed
A national divide over holding back students: Some states do it young, others wait until high school
High school came with more responsibility and less accountability for Josiah Ulukita. Courses were much harder, teachers were less strict about attendance, and it was easier to skip school with friends or go on his phone during class, said 16-year-old Ulukita, who attends Kaimuki High School in Honolulu. He went from easily passing middle school to failing freshman English and social studies. After missing roughly half of his freshman year due to poor attendance, he found out he needed to repeat ninth grade. Ashamed, he began to skip more school, he said — until his counselor warned him that he may not graduate on time.
hechingerreport.org
August 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Fewer students are being held back, according to a Big Local News/Hechinger Report analysis. Research on the impact on students is mixed
For struggling students, where they live has a big effect on when or whether they’re held back a grade academically. A Big Local News/@hechingerreport.org analysis found that school districts throughout the U.S. approach grade retention in very different ways.
hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
A national divide over holding back students: Some states do it young, others wait until high school
Fewer students are being held back, according to a Big Local News/Hechinger Report analysis. Research on the impact on students is mixed
hechingerreport.org
August 19, 2026 at 4:42 PM
For struggling students, where they live has a big effect on when or whether they’re held back a grade academically. A Big Local News/@hechingerreport.org analysis found that school districts throughout the U.S. approach grade retention in very different ways.
hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
hechingerreport.org/a-national-d...
This is the kind of reporting our data can help make possible. Big Local News scrapes the U.S. government's contracts every day, creating a massive resource that journalists can use to uncover stories like this.
Interested in the data? 💡 Send us an email at [email protected].
Interested in the data? 💡 Send us an email at [email protected].
More delays plague a lab conducting high-risk research on animal diseases. Kate Li pulled a thread from Big Local News data on federal contract cancellations and reported this story for @science.org on delays at a $1.25-billion facility in Kansas.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Massive new animal disease lab in Kansas runs into more delays
USDA doesn’t know when facility will be able to handle the most dangerous pathogens
www.science.org
August 18, 2026 at 5:24 PM
This is the kind of reporting our data can help make possible. Big Local News scrapes the U.S. government's contracts every day, creating a massive resource that journalists can use to uncover stories like this.
Interested in the data? 💡 Send us an email at [email protected].
Interested in the data? 💡 Send us an email at [email protected].
More delays plague a lab conducting high-risk research on animal diseases. Kate Li pulled a thread from Big Local News data on federal contract cancellations and reported this story for @science.org on delays at a $1.25-billion facility in Kansas.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Massive new animal disease lab in Kansas runs into more delays
USDA doesn’t know when facility will be able to handle the most dangerous pathogens
www.science.org
August 18, 2026 at 4:37 PM
More delays plague a lab conducting high-risk research on animal diseases. Kate Li pulled a thread from Big Local News data on federal contract cancellations and reported this story for @science.org on delays at a $1.25-billion facility in Kansas.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...