Board hears Rising Rock Stars update on federal grant, enrollment and student gains

At the North Syracuse Board of Education meeting, Rising Rock Stars director Chao Li updated board members on program enrollment, partners and academic outcomes under the program’s “20 first century” grant, and said the final year of grant funding remains uncertain.

The update matters because the program provides before‑ and after‑school care and summer programming that district officials say saves families substantial childcare costs and supports students’ academic and social‑emotional growth. The grant also pays only for students who receive at least 15 hours of programming, making enrollment and retention central to the program’s budget.

Chao Li said Rising Rock Stars began with about 274 registrations in its first year. “This past school year, 221 kids signed up for summer 2024,” he said, and added the program had 414 students during the school year. The program hit a target of 430 students who received 15 or more hours, he said. The district’s contract is structured as a pay‑for‑performance grant: full funding requires reaching 95% of the program’s target, which was reduced from 567 to 454 students after the first two years, Li said.

Li described program partnerships and services. “Our main partner is the YMCA of Central New York, the arts and education branch,” he said, and said about…