The grants will fund after-school tutoring, enrichment and recreation activities.
The Bethlehem Area School District has struggled this year to continue after- school tutoring and enrichment programs after grant money ran out.The district has had to rely largely on volunteers and community partnerships to continue the activities in its neediest schools.
District officials announced Monday Bethlehem's was awarded $1.5 million of federal dollars over three years to fund after-school programming in Donegan, Fountain Hill, Freemansburg and Marvine elementary schools.
State Education Secretary Ron Tomalis last week said 57 schools and organizations will receive a total $64.4 million as part of the 21st Center Community Learning Centers challenge grant. The federally funded grant program was created under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Bethlehem became aware the funding was available in the fall and quickly applied, Superintendent Joseph Roy said.
About 400 students will come in for a free snack each day, attend tutoring with certified teachers and then wrap up the afternoon with a fun enrichment or recreation activity.
"We can immediately start to get programs running because we have done this before in these four schools," he said.
Roy's consistently heard in elementary schools that the loss of tutoring and other after-school programming has been keenly felt this school year. Officials are excited to start the programs back up as soon as possible, Roy said.
"It allows us to do these programs we have been able to do successfully in the past," Roy said.The grant will pay for two program coordinators, who will manage activities at two schools, and one grant supervisor, who all must be hired.
The grant program targets high-poverty and low performing schools and will provide educational experiences that tie in with work being done in the classroom as well as add to classroom learning and fill in gaps, Tomalis said.
“(Applicants) for funding were required to provide students with a variety of enrichment opportunities that they might not receive at school or at home,” Tomalis said.The state received 119 applications that were vetted and scored by a panel, which made recommendations. The winners include 19 community-based organizations; 17 school districts; 10 charter schools; five intermediate units; three institutes of higher education; and three faith-based organizations.
Locally, the Allentown School District was awarded $1.45 million, Roberto Clemente Charter School received $504,000 and Lehigh Carbon Community College won $633,599. The Council of Spanish Speaking Organization of Lehigh Valley, now known as the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, was awarded $456,000.
Allentown School District spokeswoman Susan Williams said they could not comment on the grant until the school board approves it during their Thursday meeting.
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