Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: The News & Advance Entry Title: Interest in private schools, High school bands, Learning during pandemic Entry Credit: Jamey Cross Judge Comment: Three well-executed features with insider perspectives and novel subjects win the day here. The entire package was good, and not just one story.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Daily News-Record Entry Title: School Furniture; New Voters; Learning Pods Entry Credit: Megan Williams Judge Comment: The pod learning story here was a standout -- strong writing and good quotes -- but not all stories were as strong as the winning entry.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Free Lance-Star Entry Title: Spotsy teachers say fewer students coming to class; School’s out but some students hard at work; and School enrollment drops Entry Credit: Adele Uphaus-Conner Judge Comment: Capturing what it's like to teach to an empty room ("dystopian"); how a yearbook staff works through their sadness at a pandemic-rattled year to express that to their readers were creative story ideas that made you feel what these people were feeling.
