District seeks state and federal funds for extended school hours and after‑school programs

The Finance and Operations Committee reviewed abstracts and continuing grants to fund after‑school and extended‑hours programming for the 2025–26 school year. Mister Tavares presented an extended school hours abstract described as part of the district’s Priority Alliance grant entitlement; he said about 40% of that grant allocation is designated to support community partnerships, which he estimated would translate to roughly $120,000–$135,000 for partner organizations and the remainder to pay a program coordinator and startup of new sites including Fair Haven. “Forty percent of the overall grant is allocated to support community partnerships,” Tavares said. The committee also heard that the district is in year five of a five‑year federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant supporting FAME, Nathan Hale and Hill Central; that federal grant was described as a continuation application rather than a new competitive award. Committee members asked whether the federal program would be renewed beyond the current cohort; staff said they would discuss continuance options with the executive team and noted that federal funding can be more uncertain. Separately, the committee reviewed an agreement with Teach For America for its Ignite high‑dose tutoring program; Barnard School will be added to the district’s existing roster of Title I schools participating in small‑group, high‑dose tutoring for grades 3–5. Rocket Lit (district science assessments) was described as an expansion of last year’s assessment program to provide district- and school-level online science assessments for grades 3–11, which district staff said gives new district-level data to guide instruction. Why it matters: extended‑hours and 21st Century grants fund after‑school learning and community partnerships that support academic and enrichment programs; high‑dose tutoring and assessment contracts are intended to support student progress and teacher practice. Next steps: staff said applications and agreements would proceed through the district approval process and that the committee will receive updates on continuation funding or application outcomes.