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Community partner says programming at East High may pause after spring break amid funding gap
Summary
Jeffrey Lewis told the Madison Metropolitan School District Operations Work Group that his organization has continued work at East High despite losing its contract and an unsuccessful grant application, and that services likely will pause around spring break unless new funds are found.
Jeffrey Lewis, an online speaker who identified himself as representing a community organization that has worked in the Madison Metropolitan School District since 2013, told the Operations Work Group on the evening of the meeting that his group’s in-school programming at East High School faces an imminent pause because of funding shortfalls.
Lewis said his organization has continued work at East High without a current contract since August and has been covering services with its reserve funds. He said the group applied to a public-health violence-prevention fund “hoping to use that to support the work at East,” but “our application was not successful.” He added: "Our funds are running kinda low, and we're gonna run out of funds. Unless we're successful in finding funds, we're gonna have to pause our work in in the district probably at, spring break." (Jeffrey Lewis, online public speaker.)
The speaker said the group will continue some monthly community meals and events but that staff losses are possible if new revenue is not secured. "We remain committed to this work," Lewis said. "We still believe in it. I believe in the support. I believe in what you're trying to do. And, we'll we'll have to find a way through this." (Jeffrey Lewis.)
Why it matters: the organization described direct classroom- and school-level supports at East High; a pause in that programming would change services available to students there and could affect families who rely on in-school supports and community events coordinated by the group.
What was not resolved: Lewis did not name his organization during his remarks on the public-record segment of the meeting and did not provide a dollar figure for the shortfall. He said the group applied for a violence-prevention grant and was not awarded funding; the district staff on the call acknowledged the comment but did not announce any immediate funding action during the meeting.
The record: Lewis’s remarks were made during the public-appearance portion of the agenda and were followed by routine business including approval of the meeting minutes.
