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District reports rising enrollment, attendance and test‑score gains among Community Learning Centers participants
Summary
Rebecca Wimmer presented data showing increases in before‑school, after‑school and summer enrollment in the district’s Community Learning Centers (CLC), improved average daily attendance for CLC participants, reductions in chronic absenteeism, and targeted scholarship funding; the board acknowledged the report by voice vote.
Rebecca Wimmer (presenting on Community Learning Centers) told the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 board that the district’s CLC program completed its second full year and showed sustained growth and positive student outcomes.
Wimmer said before‑school enrollment expanded from a single site with 30 students to eight sites with more than 230 students; the district added two summer sites this year and enrolled about 130 additional children in summer programming. She said average daily attendance for CLC participants remained consistently higher across the year and that the program’s small‑group tutoring appeared to contribute to improved reading and math growth at some schools.
“We have over 70 community partners that are coming in and doing different activities with our kids throughout the weeks, getting them engaged in different things,” Wimmer said. She highlighted Annie Sullivan CLC, where two high school tutors provided small‑group tutoring for 2½ years; those CLC students showed higher median MAP scores in math and reading than the general elementary population at that school, she said.
Wimmer acknowledged increased demand for scholarships. She said the program used about $1,600,000 in scholarship funds last year and requested an additional $200,000 this year to cover gaps as some federal funding ended; she said the district anticipates roughly $2,200,000 in scholarship funding for the coming year from a donor fund and United Way. Earlier in her remarks she said scholarship requests had increased by about $130,000 in one period, and she explained the district had worked with donors to cover added need.
Wimmer said the district set a capacity goal this year of 2,037 for after‑school enrollment and was at roughly 96% of that capacity, with the most openings in Title schools. She announced the district launched middle‑school programming at George McGovern, Ben Reifel and Whittier, and that a Boys & Girls Club site attached to George McGovern now allows students to stay until 8 p.m. on many days.
Board members praised the program and moved to acknowledge the report. A motion to acknowledge the CLC report was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll‑call counts are recorded in the meeting minutes.
Wimmer said the district plans to continue collecting and reporting data on CLC attendance, academic progress and program growth.
