Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the After School Program Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approved consent item sending $400,000 to schools for Champions after‑school scholarships
Summary
Council approved the consent agenda that included a $400,000 amendment to the city’s contract with Hillsborough School District to continue scholarships for the Champions after‑school program; city staff and district officials said the partnership has supplied about $1.2 million in funding since 2021.
The Hillsborough City Council approved a consent agenda that included a $400,000 contract amendment to extend city funding for the Hillsborough School District’s Champions after‑school program, city staff and district officials said.
City Manager Robbie Hammond and education staff described the program as a joint city–district effort launched using American Rescue Plan Act funds and ESSER grants after the pandemic. Franchesca Sinappi, equity access and engagement officer for the district, said the city’s funding has helped provide scholarships and meals and expand enrichment opportunities.
“The added bonuses…allowing that engaging activity…we looked at a group of students…and they have all…reached grade level, if not gone beyond,” Franchesca Sinappi said about the program’s impact in a sampling the district tracked. Sinappi told the council the district has received about $1,200,000 from the city since 2021 to support after‑school scholarships; city staff said the council would consider a $400,000 amendment on the night’s consent agenda.
Councilor Case moved approval of the consent agenda; Councilor Sinclair seconded. The roll call vote recorded ayes from all councilors present and the motion passed. The council did not discuss the item in detail during the public meeting; staff said the funding supports scholarship slots at about 10 district sites that operate on sliding‑scale and scholarship models. District staff said those ten sites typically serve 40–60 students each and that full scholarship slots numbered roughly 250–300 this year under the current funding mix.
District and city officials said Champions provides a meal, homework support and enrichment activities and that the program relied initially on federal pandemic relief funding (ESSER and ARPA) and on the city’s scholarships. District staff warned that ESSER funding has expired and that continuing the scholarships will require new funding commitments.
