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     Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 30206 Registered: 01-2000  Rating: N/A |
Curtailing a Service That Parents Depend On By MICHAEL WINERIP / NEW YORK TIMES with over 25 comments May 27, 2012 Every year, the mayor proposes cutting certain vital city programs and then, at the last minute, the City Council comes to the rescue by restoring at least some of the money. Council members look like heroes and the mayor gets himself a point or two toward future favors. It’s a little like professional wrestling. Of course, some years the mayor means it, and then it’s a little like the war on terror. This year, one of the mayor’s most worrisome proposals — and I mean “worrisome” in the sense that he has thousands of blue-collar and poor parents very worried — is to cut back the city’s after-school programs. Currently, New York finances enrichment programs that run from 3 to 6 p.m. at 454 sites, serving 53,000 elementary, middle and high school students and costing $90 million; the proposal is to reduce that to 261 sites, serving 27,000 children for $71 million. This would save $19 million in a budget of $67 billion, or about a quarter of 1 percent. * * * Ms. Yanche said an indicator of the mayor’s seriousness was that since 2009, he reduced money going to after-school programs by $30 million. Along with the proposed cuts, it means that 58,000 fewer children will be in after-school programs than in 2009. * * * * 
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 30087 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Cutbacks Ahead for Out of School Programs By Nora Fleming / Beyond School blog May 4, 2012 Cutbacks. Cutbacks. Cutbacks. Major reductions in the Philadelphia school district's summer programs may mean more children are going hungry this summer, according to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. To curb a growing deficit, the district will be making $26 million in cuts by the time next year's budget is adopted in June. (A $218 million deficit is predicted for the district in 2012-2013.) A portion of the cuts will hit summer academic and enrichment programs hard. Specifically, the district's cuts this summer will mean the number of students enrolled in summer programs will drop from 19,000 last summer to 10,000 this summer. Summer school, just one of the district's summer offerings, will only serve high school seniors who need credits to graduate, and special needs students. Many children enrolled in summer programs receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year and rely on the summer programs to also provide food. Without the programs, many face an uncertain road ahead this summer, the article reports. In response, the city plans to open the doors of its 1,000 feeding sites to children who need free meals. Some are concerned, however, that families will be unaware of the resources available. The city says it will be providing information online and over the phone about these resources. Budget cuts are not only impacting Philadelphia kids in out-of-school programs. In New York City, the executive budget released this week has significant cuts planned for the city's well regarded afterschool programs, which I've written about here. If the cuts take effect, the system will serve only 27,000 elementary and middle school students next year, when just a couple years ago, in 2009, 60,000 were served. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 28590 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Report Shows Afterschool Programs Need Work B.A. Birch / Education News Oct. 22, 2011 A new assessment of states’ progress toward offering afterschool programs to all children who need them finds that many states are making some headway, but they have a great deal of work ahead to meet the need for quality programs. The 2011 State-by-State Afterschool Progress Reports and Consumer Guides is sponsored by J.C. Penney and was compiled by Afterschool Alliance - a nonprofit public awareness organization working to ensure access to and the quality of afterschool programs. Specifically, each state progress report considers: The availability of and participation in afterschool programs * * * *
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