Targets Middle School Students
Mayor Bill de Blasio released a report Monday, Mar. 3, detailing his administration’s plan to expand after-school programs in public middle schools across the city.
The effort aims to increase afterschool programs from 239 to 512 and to ensure that every middle school student has access to a quality afterschool option. The proposed $190 million investment will enable nearly 120,000 more city students to attend an after-school program.
De Blasio called it potentially a “game changer” for kids.
“This is a critical investment that will transform our schools–but it is also a powerful policy to keep kids out of trouble and fight the influences that can take them off the right path,” de Blasio said in a statement.
After-school programs already serve an estimated 56,369 students in 45,095 programs at 239 schools annually. According to a press release from the mayor’s office, currently 273 district schools with middle school grades do not have a comprehensive after-school program.
The plan will provide $190 million in new funding for afterschool services. Starting in Sep. 2014 the funding will allow an additional 62,791 students to attend free afterschool programs.
Additional funding will be set aside to improve existing programs by increasing hours of operation, which should allow more students to attend.
In a statement Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said, “Middle school is a pivotal moment for student development. Expanding after-school programs not only reinforces classroom learning for middle schoolers, but also creats lifechanging opportunities.”
She added, “Afterschool helps students become actively engaged in learning and deters them from being passive consumers of classroom information. This initiative is critical investment that will undoubtedly help transform our school system.
Programs cover a wide range of enrichment activities. These include reinforcing school lessons in literacy, math and science to homework help and tutoring. Programs will also feature movement activities like dance, martial arts and other sports.
De Blasio plans to pay for the expansion by asking Albany lawmakers to authorize the city to increase income taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents.
