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Rantoul district: $150,000 21st Century after-school grant will start at Broadmeadow; district aims to expand
Summary
Rantoul City SD 137 told the board it has a $150,000 21st Century grant for this school year (with two further years possible) to fund after-school programming for roughly 90 Broadmeadow students, with plans to try to expand capacity to other schools and address transportation logistics with the village.
The superintendent told the Rantoul City SD 137 board the district received a 21st Century grant worth $150,000 for the current school year, with the possibility of two additional years if grant conditions are met. The grant is a co-application with the village and was written to serve about 90 students at Broadmeadow to start; the superintendent said the district’s maximum capacity under the grant is roughly 100 students.
Programming, the superintendent said, will be provided at the village youth center and “will most likely be a lot of our staff providing the services just like Explorers was,” though the village will technically employ program staff and may hire outside providers. The district plans to use existing Broadmeadow bus routes for drop-off; if the board approves expanding the program to additional K–5 buildings, the district would need to add transportation arrangements and could pay for those costs if necessary.
Board members raised concerns about transportation and equity of access if only Broadmeadow is eligible under the grant. The superintendent said if Broadmeadow cannot fill its seats, the district will seek permission from ISB to open seats to students at other schools, and noted other community providers (Exede Church, a multicultural center, and other local programs) that may offer alternatives. The superintendent also said the district could explore fee-based programming as a fallback but acknowledged affordability concerns for families.
The superintendent asked staff to pursue options with the village to fund transportation and to assemble a resource list for parents; the board mentioned a community resource compilation compiled by Dr. Amanda Johnston that could be posted on the district website.
No formal vote or final allocation was taken at the meeting; the program was described as an informational update with follow-up steps for the administration.
