Youth Coordinating Board warns after‑school funding at risk; city contribution totals about $360,000

Anne DeGruitt, executive director of the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, presented the board’s 2026 priorities and budget considerations to the Budget Committee on Oct. 20, saying after‑school programs and system‑level youth engagement face funding risks if federal grant streams are reduced.

DeGruitt said Minneapolis has roughly 85,000 residents aged 0–18 and described the Youth Coordinating Board’s three work areas: early childhood programs (funded by the state), youth development and after‑school supports, and youth engagement (including the Minneapolis Youth Congress). She said after‑school programming in the city already operates with limited funding and that threats to federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grants could cause substantial program cuts.

DeGruitt outlined the board’s governance and partners: a ten‑member governance board that includes two city council members (Vice Chair Koski and Council Member Jenkins), joint powers partners Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and six staff supporting program, communications and finance work. She described recent youth convenings and partnerships — including engagement with the Youth Congress, juvenile court, and Metro Transit projects — and noted the board’s role in cross‑jurisdiction coordination on youth safety and well‑being.

On funding, DeGruitt said the joint powers fee among partner agencies is about $90,000 per major partner (with the park board contributing roughly $20,000) and that the city’s general‑fund contribution is about $360,000 — a total she characterized as roughly $450,000 when combined with partner fees. She said the board uses city allocations for after‑school programming routed to Minneapolis Community Education, the parks, and library teen tech centers; those funds supported more than 5,000 hours of programming and 64 community partners, serving a duplicated count of more than 6,000 young people in the past year.

Council President Payne and other committee members expressed concern that the Community Connections Conference and other collaborative convenings were cut in the recommended budget. DeGruitt said the conference’s loss is significant and that the board is exploring smaller youth‑led convenings and summits but that replicating the conference’s scale would require additional resources for space, food and travel.

DeGruitt described other risks: federal after‑school funding reductions, state funding changes, and workforce instability in early‑childhood and youth‑service roles. She highlighted upcoming Youth Congress events (oath of office Nov. 13) and December convenings focused on youth mental health. The clerk was asked to file the presentation.