After-School Program in Peril

By Judith Nygren, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Feb. 25–Theresa Henry has seen her two children take on more responsibility and become more disciplined since they joined Kennedy Elementary’s after-school program.

But last week, it was their academic gains in which Henry took the most pride.

“Do you want to see my son’s progress report?” Henry asked, eagerly digging into her purse. “Look, all ones and twos.”

Her son’s and daughter’s grades were a concern a couple of years ago, prompting teachers to suggest they join the school’s community learning center, a federally funded after-school program designed to boost student achievement. Now, after “a lot of prayer, a lot of parent participation and a lot of teacher support,” Henry said, both children are honor roll students.

Henry’s children are among the 1,150 Omaha Public Schools students who benefit from the after-school program, which is offered at 17 local schools. Statewide, $4.8 million in federal funding for 2007 ensures that roughly 4,800 students are receiving academic and recreational services at 88 community learning centers, according to the national Afterschool Alliance.

Lawmakers and educators say these centers — part of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act — are success stories. So much so, a national effort is under way to protest a Bush proposal to cut after-school funding by about $200 million.

That amount would reduce or eliminate services to 300,000 children nationwide, according to the alliance.

Nebraska is slated to receive funding for nearly 5,300 students this year, but President Bush’s proposed 2009 budget provides funding for only 3,920 Nebraska children, according to alliance calculations.

Iowa’s funding currently covers the cost of serving 5,600 children. Under the Bush proposal, the alliance estimates, nearly 1,600 fewer student spots would be financed.

The Bush proposal — part of his budget package — also would come with another change: vouchers for participating families. Details on how the vouchers would work haven’t been laid out, leading opponents to question the future stability of centers.

The proposal may not go anywhere. The program — which offers five years of federal funding, after which community-based partners are expected to cover expenses — enjoys broad support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

“The administration proposes these cuts nearly every year, and Congress restores them,” said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

Even so, the proposed cuts could have an impact. Increased funding is tougher to fight for when lawmakers begin their budget discussion with a proposed cut, Nelson’s office says.

That is unfortunate, said Michael Davis, who oversees community learning centers for North Platte schools. Davis said he sees firsthand the centers’ value.

North Platte used part of its federal funding to set up the staff and oversight for a few initial learning centers. It then took that existing expertise to start more centers with additional funding from private sources. North Platte now has after-school centers in eight school buildings and serves 40 percent of students in kindergarten through fifth grade, including during the summer months.

The federal grants cover the cost of serving about 30 kids, but some North Platte centers have as many as 60 children. That’s possible because, unlike in Omaha’s free programs, North Platte parents pay according to their financial ability.

As in other communities with learning centers, North Platte uses some of its teachers and aides to keep students moving forward academically.

Students also spend time on nonacademic endeavors, including swimming lessons and field trips. The idea is to broaden the children’s world, Davis said.

In some small towns, the community centers offer one of the few — if not the only — after-school programming. But unlike many programs, the centers must focus on student achievement.

Erin Russ, a first-grade teacher at Kennedy, helps to identify the specific needs of the children after school at her learning center.

“I see a lot of gains . . . especially in fluency and comprehension” of language, she said.

Robert Sullivan, a sixth-grader who was referred to the Kennedy learning center last year, said the gains aren’t limited to grades. Robert said he has always been a good student. His problem was anger, he said.

The after-school staff worked with his family and classroom teachers to devise ways to help him gain control over his outbursts, he said. This year, he is a co-captain of his basketball team, he helps other students with schoolwork and, most importantly, he said, he knows how to cool down.

“I know how to walk away now,” he said.

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