When students have to grapple with challenges outside of school such as homelessness and food insecurity, it can curb academic performance, attendance and mental health.
Those struggles can also lead to higher dropout rates and lower grades, said Josh Anderson of FutureEd, an education think tank. It’s like a stone dropping in a pond, with the impact rippling outward.
But wraparound services, such as washers and dryers and food pantries, can directly counteract these negative effects, research shows…