Hi all —

I received the following memorandum tonight from Superintendent Collins regarding the popular after-school programs in the Burlington Schools. Unfortunately, the grants that have been funding those programs are set to expire over the next 18 months. The District is looking into options to sustain those programs.

As you’ll see at the bottom, there are three meetings scheduled to discuss ways to continue the programs. If you have time and are interested in the after-school programs, please come to learn more about them and offer us your ideas. -Fred Lane
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From Superintendent Collins:

As you are aware, the grants supporting Burlington After School programs will begin to run out over the next 18 months. These include the PASS grant and two federal 21st Century grants that are awarded through the state.

Burlington After School has provided high quality enrichment classes for the past seven years. In the past year, about 60% of K-12 students participated.

Most programs have been free during those years because of grant funding. Of the program’s $650,000 budget, 97% has been funded through a variety of grant funds ($25,000 comes from the local budget). Families who were able to do so also paid fees for programs at three elementary schools.

The Burlington After School staff has been working on sustainability ideas. Several staff have looked at what programs across the state and nation do to support their programs. Many of these already are funding after-school in Burlington, such as Title and local funds. Some of those ideas are dedicated to other needs, such as the District’s use of Safe and Drug-Free Schools money for SAPs.

Two of the most used funding mechanisms in the country are day care subsidies and fees. We have begun a pilot of the child care subsidies at elementary school this year.

The District will convene three meetings to discuss sustainability options for after-school. To gather input, it would be helpful if you could advertise the meetings and encourage parents and middle/ high school students to attend. Each meeting will include the following:

• Overview of Burlington After School:
• Who it serves;
• How it has been funded;
• Collaborations;
• Funding options used by other communities; and
• Small-group suggestions about how Burlington can fund its after-school program.

Meeting schedule:

• Monday, Oct. 30, 6 Wheeler Elementary
• Monday, Nov. 6, 6 Flynn Elementary
• Wednesday, Nov. 8, 6 Champlain Elementary

Please let [either Superintendent Collins or Fred Lane] know if you have questions.