Law enforcement group wants more after-school learning for kids
| Saturday, Mar 13 2010 12:00 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Mar 13 2010 03:28 PM
Although California schools offer more after-school programs than the nation as a whole, the need for many low-income students in Kern County is being unmet and lack of funding is to blame, according to a report released Thursday.
As a result, thousands of youngsters in Kern are at risk of being involved in crime, while after-school programs would provide a safe harbor, according to the anti-crime nonprofit Fight Crime: Invest is Kids California.
"What's important is to give students an opportunity for expanded learning time, and a safe and loving place. That's what after-school programs do," said John Malloy, administrator of after-school programs for the California Department of Education. "The programs are just needed so badly."
Kern County, according to the report, has more low-income schools left unfunded than any county in California, except for two -- Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
Kern County has more than 8,000 students in 80 after-school programs that receive nearly $11 million in state and federal funds. However, more than half of schools in Kern County have no after-school programs at all.
And at programs already up and running, thousands of students are on waiting lists, local school officials said.
Proposition 49, the After School Education and Safety Act passed in 2002, provided $550 million each year for programs aimed at students from low-income families. After the state department opened applications for that funding more than a year ago, it received requests from schools for $200 million more than it could give, Malloy said. That was more than 10 times the amount schools requested three years before, Malloy said.
On the bright side, California spends three times more on after-school efforts than the other 49 states combined. Federal and private money is available also, and California schools have jumped at pieces of that pie as well.
Still, local districts that offer the most programs -- Greenfield Union School District and Bakersfield City School District -- have thousands on waiting lists. School sites not receiving funding can do little more than wait.
Success After School Program at Palla Elementary School -- one of the largest at Greenfield Union in south Bakersfield -- caters to 190 students, when the suggested cap is 130. They stretch their dollars to serve more students, said Barbara Houser, director of extended day programs for the district.
Houser said Greenfield's after-school program, now used as a model throughout the state, started as way to keep kids off the streets and provide them with a safe place to learn and have fun.
Students learn about respect and character, team building and how to resolve conflicts -- on top of academic and enrichment activities.
On Friday, students at Palla had their choice of activities: egg relay, "leprechaun tag," reading, sports and computer games among other activities.
The busier students are, the more likely they'll stay out of trouble, said Patricia McAllister, site coordinator.
A recent survey by nonprofit Afterschool Alliance found that 24 percent of K-12 students are responsible for taking care of themselves after school, when kids are most likely to get into trouble.
The Fight Crime group is led by hundreds of law enforcement officials across the state, including Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood and Arvin Police Chief Tommy Tunson, a group committee member.
"I would rather pay now in after-school programs than later in prisons," Tunson said in a statement. "We must continue to take care of our greatest natural resource -- our children."
Fight Crime is asking lawmakers to help California maintain its position as a leader in these efforts, and as the economy improves, increase funding.
At BCSD there's an extreme need, said Daniel Mendez, after-school program supervisor for the district. More than 2,700 students now attend programs at schools and local Boys & Girls Clubs, but that's just 10 percent of the district's population, he said.
The goal is to connect with students, and help them make good choices, Mendez said. Many of the students come from neighborhoods riddled with gang activity,
"Whenever they're with us," he said, "they feel safe."
