Starting next school year, the after-school program at Green Bay’s Doty Elementary School will no longer be free to families after federal funding changes and local budget pressures.
Green Bay funds 11 free after-school educational programs, nine of which serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. This means they fall under federal Title I; six schools are funded through a federal grant.
But a Trump administration budget proposal could cut funding to these grants. That proposal, coupled with Green Bay’s long-term projected budget deficit, means the district is planning changes.
Doty isn’t a Title I school, so it was completely supported with district funds. Budget strains plus the school’s consolidation with Langlade Elementary this coming year and future funding uncertainty led the district to propose changes to Doty’s programming now.
“For next year, we’re feeling good [budget-wise,]” said Amy Fish, district associate director of community partnerships and grants. “For the following year, there’s a lot of unanswered questions at this point.”
What changed at the federal level?
The federal grants, called 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, support academic programming outside of school for economically disadvantaged students and families across the country. They’re distributed to Wisconsin schools through the Department of Public Instruction based on a competitive application process.
There are 168 after-school sites funded by 21st Century grants across Wisconsin, serving over 19,700 students, according to DPI. Currently, the state receives more than $17 million in grant money.
The Trump administration’s budget proposal doesn’t include any funding for 21st Century grants. Instead, it proposes funding be allocated to a single program that states and local school districts could use as they please. This aims to “eliminate the federal funding siloes and bureaucratic red tape that have inhibited innovation,” the Education Department’s budget proposal reads.
But the funds in that single program would only cover a small portion of the many programs assigned to it, meaning it’s unclear if the 21st Century grants will receive any funding in the coming years.
Why is Green Bay School District proposing a change to Doty’s after-school program now?
In Green Bay, those funds support free after-school programs for 11 elementary schools: Baird, Beaumont, Danz, Doty, Eisenhower, Fort Howard, Howe, Kennedy, Lincoln, Nicolet and Sullivan. Grant funds don’t cover everything, though, plus some schools with free after-school programs, including Doty, don’t meet Title I requirements. The school district covers the full cost under its community service fund.
Last summer, about $6.2 billion in federal funding was abruptly frozen by the U.S. Department of Education, which cited a need for further review. Locally, that meant $3.4 million in Green Bay’s federal funding was frozen, including $550,000 for 21st Century after-school programs. The funding was released a month later following a lawsuit.
The federal and local funding uncertainty going forward meant Green Bay wanted to make a proactive change, on its own terms.
“[Last July] I’m thinking, ‘We have one month to tell families that they don’t have a place for their children to go after school,’ which could mean the difference between keeping a job and having to quit a job for our families,” Fish said June 8, when the Doty change was first proposed. “So you can understand the ripple effect that would have within our economy, within our community.”
Green Bay’s 21st Century grant funding is set through the next school year because the district is on a five-year grant cycle, Fish said. But this fall, they’ll find out if they’ll be able to apply for another cycle, or if funding won’t be available.
In that case, the Green Bay School District would have to “re-envision” after-school care and make significant structural changes, Fish said. By proposing the change at Doty now, the district expects to save about $225,000 in payments to the YMCA, according to School Board memos.
I’m a Doty parent. What does this mean for me?
Starting this fall, Doty’s after-school program will be a paid program put on through the YMCA. Costs vary based on the number of days needed and YMCA membership status. Before-school care is also available.
Five days of after-school care for YMCA members costs $63.25 per week. For non-members, five days is $73.25 per week.
For parents who would have difficulty paying for care, the YMCA offers a sliding-scale fee and accepts Wisconsin Shares childcare subsidies. A district representative should be in contact with families and can help those interested sign up.
The YMCA also provides greater flexibility for the number of students enrolled, Fish said. Families are also able to pick their students up early if needed, because the program no longer has to meet federal grant academic standards.
Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@usatodayco.com or on X at @nadiaascharf.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Plan calls for cutting free after-school program at Doty over funding
Reporting by Nadia Scharf, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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By Nadia Scharf, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
