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After-school providers ask LESC for separate $20M pots for community organizations and LEAs to expand out-of-school-time programs
Summary
A panel of New Mexico after-school providers told the Legislative Education Study Committee that transportation, staffing and sunsetting ESSER funds threaten existing programs and asked legislators to fund $20 million for community-based organizations and $20 million for local education agencies, kept separate from tutoring dollars.
A coalition of after-school providers told the Legislative Education Study Committee that out-of-school-time programs are critical to student well-being, attendance and career pathways, and asked lawmakers for targeted funding to prevent an abrupt loss of services.
"Out of school time is before and after school programs, summer programs, teen centers, and internships," said Mai Sagbukin, a presenter and local organizer. Sagbukin told the committee there are roughly 124,000 young people in New Mexico without reliable access to after-school programming and estimated a universal program would cost about $1,000 per child — "which means we would need 124,000,000 annually," she said.
Panelists described how the programs operate and the populations they serve. Dr. Leticia Archuleta, executive director of Health Leadership High School, said out-of-school funding supports paid practicums and internships that help students earn certifications and secure summer or postsecondary jobs. "One of the ways to do that was to pay them for practicum placements and internships," Archuleta said, adding that those placements also improve attendance.
Sarah Gettler, executive director of the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Clubs, said the organization—s teen center — opened with ESSER money and HB2 support — has served more than 4,300 youth and provides meals, trauma-informed supports and a technology pathway. "Since our time of opening, we've served over 4,300 youth in Santa Fe and surrounding areas," she said.
Speakers warned that some grants are sunsetting and that program funding has been reallocated in recent sessions. Sagbukin told the committee an ESSER 3 allocation of roughly $6 million that supported after-school sites is scheduled to expire and that about 40 programs could lose funding. She said earlier budget actions left providers competing with high-dosage tutoring for limited dollars and urged the legislature to keep CBO and LEA funding separate to preserve program variety and partnerships.
Panelists also cited transportation as a recurring barrier to participation, especially in clustered high-school zones, and urged legislators to direct funding to cover student transport and to consider phased or incremental funding increases so grants can be administered on time.
Committee members praised the prevention focus and sought detail on service gaps and coordination with juvenile justice and other agencies. Providers described informal engagement with juvenile justice policy and said better cross-agency data (for example, on timing of juvenile offenses) would help target after-school resources.
The committee did not take formal action; members asked staff and presenters for additional information as budget deliberations continue.
