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Youth-services coalition urges county funding to expand middle-school programs
Summary
A coalition of youth-service providers asked Bernalillo County to sustain and expand out-of-school-time programming for middle and high school students, seeking local match dollars and state support to grow current offerings.
A coalition representing the Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, YMCA, Warehouse 505 and other providers told the Bernalillo County Commission on Jan. 28 that existing out-of-school-time programs need sustained funding to reach more middle- and high-school students.
Colby Wilson, chief encouragement officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs and a coalition spokesperson, told commissioners the coalition served more than 2,000 middle-school students in a morning program last school year across 25 of 27 public middle schools. He said funding gaps shifted programming to afternoons this school year and the coalition currently provides after-school services at 12 middle schools.
"We need your support not only to sustain some of our current efforts, but to bring this impact to more schools, to more neighborhoods, and to more kids who need us most," Wilson said.
Coalition leaders presented a funding plan with specific requests and outcomes: $800,000 could double Junior Achievement's student reach from 12,000 to 24,000 students; $800,000 could double Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentor matches from 1,000 to 2,000 students; $800,000 could enable the YMCA to serve 1,000 more teens; Warehouse 505 requested $400,000 to expand a workforce-development printing program into a sustainable revenue source; the Boys & Girls Clubs said current funding for 12 middle-school sites runs only through June 30 and requested $2,000,000 to extend coverage to all APS middle schools and a new teen center opening in summer.
Wilson and coalition members asked commissioners to press the state Legislature for proposed out-of-school-time line items and to identify county budget items where the coalition would be a fit (mental health, community safety, academic success, workforce readiness, trauma-informed care and economic development).
Deputy County Manager Dana Townsend outlined county support for community-school partnerships and existing programs the county already funds, including support at Highland High School and arts- and workforce-linked programs. Commissioners thanked the coalition and discussed possible local actions: Chair Manny Olivas and others suggested using council and commissioner district discretionary funds as local match. Olivas proposed each commissioner consider contributing $100,000 from their district allotments to match $500,000 the Albuquerque City Council provided last year; commissioners did not take a formal vote on that idea but asked staff to return budget options.
Commissioners and coalition leaders emphasized prevention-focused funding and expanding programs that reach hard-to-serve middle- and high-school students. Coalition members said many smaller nonprofits lack capacity to compete for state or federal grants without county support to help with grant navigation and contracting.
The commission asked staff to follow up with budget scenarios ahead of the county budget process and with advocacy at the Legislature to secure any statewide out-of-school-time appropriation.
