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The district plans to resume its free after-school tutoring and enrichment programs Dec. 1 — two months later than usual because of the state budget standoff.
To compensate for the late start, the programs, which traditionally end by April, will run until mid-May this year.
"We're excited," said Kathi Loferski, SDL's coordinator of extended day/year programs. "Parents have been struggling to find after-school options for their children."
More than 2,000 students last year participated in after-school activities at 11 district schools.
This year, the schools can provide tutoring for up to 1,600 students and enrichment activities for about 1,100 students, Loferski said.
SDL had planned to revamp its after-school programs this year by hiring school and community liaisons at every district school to oversee the activities.
Interviews were conducted, but as the state budget impasse dragged on, the district could not fill the positions or start the programs because of uncertainty over funding.
By the time the state budget was approved in early October, SDL had decided to contract with the Spanish American Civic Association to oversee after-school activities.
On Tuesday, the school board approved a $421,096 contract with SACA to employ 11 student and family liaisons at district schools this year.
The contract is funded with about $379,000 in federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants and $42,000 in state funds.
In addition to supervising after-school activities, the liaisons will provide social service case management at each of the 11 schools, working with at least 15 families at a time. They also will conduct home visits.
SACA was chosen for the contract because it has been providing school and family liaisons at district schools since 2006, said Pam Smith, SDL's Safe Schools/Healthy Students program coordinator.
The participating schools are King, Washington, Hamilton, Price, Ross, Lafayette, Burrowes and Wickersham elementary schools and Lincoln, Hand and Wheatland middle schools.
Those 11 schools will offer an hour of tutoring followed by an hour of enrichment activities that will run until 5 p.m. at the middle schools and 5:30 at the elementary schools.
Students are eligible for tutoring if they scored below proficient in math or reading on the PSSA. All students can sign up for enrichment activities.
Those programs will cover a wide range of activities, from knitting, beading and crocheting lessons to swimming, cooking and fitness programs, debate and drill teams, salsa and African dance and career exploration activities.
About 35 providers have been approved to offer enrichment, ranging from Fulton Opera House to Lancaster County Career & Technology Center.
Schools not included under the 21st Century grant will offer only one hour of tutoring and homework help after school.
Those schools are Carter & MacRae, Fulton, Buchanan, Martin and Wharton elementary schools; Reynolds Middle School; McCaskey and McCaskey East high schools; and Phoenix Academy.
Parents of SDL students must fill out applications for their children to participate in after-school activities.
In future years, the district will offer tutoring services after school, but it's not clear whether the enrichment programs will continue because the 21st Century grant expires this year.
SDL is seeking new funding sources to replace the grant.
