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Director says Explorers after‑school program must shrink or find local funding as federal grant drops
Summary
Katie Boatwright told the board the Explorers after‑school program increased attendance to about 105 students but faces a funding cut: the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant funding will fall to roughly 75% of the original amount for the next two years, forcing staffing and capacity changes.
Katie Boatwright, director of the Explorers before‑ and after‑school program, told the Fairfield Community School District board on May 18 that the program has expanded attendance but will face reduced federal grant funding that will require local solutions.
Boatwright said the program has been funded through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant that provided $150,000 per year during the initial three‑year cycle. She said the program’s daily average attendance rose from 92 in the first grant year to about 105 currently and that the program has served 336 individual students over the three years. Boatwright said the program is running up against space and staffing limits and that, with smaller grant awards ahead, she expects the program may need to cap enrollment closer to 100 students next school year unless new funding is found.
Boatwright described program logistics: a before‑school slot beginning about 7:15 a.m. with breakfast available, after‑school care that runs until about 5:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday (earlier dismissal times at some schools), a Friday schedule that ends earlier, daily snacks, weekly small‑group activities, field trips, partnerships with the Fairfield Public Library and Jefferson County Park, a Girls Who Code club for third‑ and fourth‑grade girls, and bike‑safety programming that included free helmets and a limited number of donated bikes. She said roughly 85% of current grant spending has been on staffing because of the increased numbers of students.
Board members asked about waiting lists and how many program participants receive free or reduced‑price lunches; Boatwright said local evaluation data posted on the program website show the percentage but she estimated participation among free/reduced lunch students at about 45–50%. In response to questions about future funding, Boatwright said the program could likely operate at current capacity with about $100,000 annually for both buildings but cautioned that exact needs will vary.
Board members thanked Boatwright for the presentation and discussed possible local funding strategies; no formal vote on new funding occurred at the meeting.
