State funds expand YMCA after school sessions
Students in the Hollister School District will soon be getting a
little extra assistance after school.
State funds expand YMCA after school sessions
Students in the Hollister School District will soon be getting a little extra assistance.
The Hollister School District recently received funding that will allow the YMCA of San Benito County to expand its after school program from 150 kids at six school sites to 510 kids.
Though it is still unclear exactly how much the program is set to receive, San Benito YMCA Executive Director Lou Bettencourt said he believes the amount will be around $375,000.
“This came as a complete surprise,” Bettencourt said. “The total amount was a surprise. We’d expected they might fund two to three schools for us, but not six.”
The funding was provided through Proposition 49. The initiative, passed in 2002, increased state grant funds available for before-and-after school programs providing tutoring, homework assistance and educational enrichment.
Part of the reason that funding is just coming through now is because the state had to have a balanced budget for two consecutive years, according to Bettencourt. The initiative was signed in the fall and at that point, schools could apply for funding. Bettencourt found out they would receive the funds in December.
The After School Education and Safety Program will fund the school district’s Gabilan Hills, Maze and Sunnyslope after school sites.
The goal of the program is to support local efforts to improve assistance to students and broaden the base of support for education in a safe, constructive environment, Bettencourt said.
YMCA will be able to offer it completely for free with the new funding. In the past the after school program had not been free, but had offered scholarships and reduced fees to students who qualified.
One of the biggest differences between the new program and the one the YMCA previously offered is the fact that kids will now have to attend the program every day if they are enrolled, versus parents deciding when the child needed to attend. Now daily attendance is mandatory.
The after school program has also had a significant impact on the students. The school district has been pleased with the results they’ve seen so far and are hoping to see the students excel further because of the after school program.
“The YMCA program and the Hollister School District have been very beneficial to one another,” said Alice Flores, Hollister School District board of trustees president. “I think that this is one way that the school district and the community can work together to provide a safe environment for students during the after school hours.”
One of the most immediate changes to the program is that YMCA will have to hire an additional 20 employees to help out with the programs. The Hollister Youth Alliance will expand their program to include seven to eight new employees.
“Staffing is going to be the biggest challenge,” Bettencourt said.
Each school will have funding for 80 students and the middle school will have funding for 120 students.
Since the district has not yet received the funds, the YMCA started this semester with the normal number of program employees, but will likely expand in February or March after the funds have been delivered.
The YMCA will be holding registration at school multipurpose rooms on the following days: January 17, from 6-8 p.m. at Sunnyslope School; January 18, from 6-8 p.m. at Gabilan Hills and for Maze school the date has not been determined, contact the YMCA to get details.
Patrick O’Donnell can be reached at
po*******@pi**********.com
