California is pumping more than $4 billion into before-, after-, and summer school learning programs.
The “expanded learning opportunities” funding, first announced in 2021, is intended to help every public school district offer additional hours of care and activities for every student in grades TK-6 by the time school starts in fall 2025.
“It's a real validation of the kind of work we've been doing for so long,” said Julee Brooks, CEO of Woodcraft Rangers, which provides after-school programs on more than 100 Los Angeles-area school campuses. “It’s also a recognition of how much student need has changed.”
After-school programs have long provided safety, food, and fun for kids while their parents work, but now programs are also filling gaps in access to the arts and mental health care. Many public districts see after-school programs as a key part of their pandemic learning recovery plan, but it’s unclear how much they may improve students’ academic skills.
The money comes at a time when there’s a nationwide after-school educator workforce shortage. More than two-thirds of providers told the Afterschool Alliance last fall that it’s been difficult to hire and retain staff last year. Other programs are fully staffed, but are still enrolling fewer students than before the pandemic.
“The intent is always wonderful,” said Susan Samarge-Powell, who helps oversee after-school programs in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. “Then the reality sometimes is where it is most challenging.”
In 2002, California voters approved a $550 million annual grant program to fund after-school care.
While the money increased access to programs, the level of funding remained relatively stagnant even as wages and other costs increased.
There’s no one-stop shop for finding before- and after-school care. If your local school doesn’t have space or any recommendations, try your local child care resource and referral agency. Their staff can provide a free list of potential programs based on your family’s needs.
A 2020 survey from the Afterschool Alliance found 70% of Los Angeles students are shut out of after-school programs.
The expanded learning opportunity program will increase before-, after-, and summer school funding by 400% when it’s fully implemented in the 2025-2026 school year, according to a study from Partnerships for Children and Youth.
Here's how that funding is distributed:
Districts can use the money in a variety of ways as long as it contributes toward providing nine hours of in-person learning per day during the school year and during at least 30 non-school days. Examples of allowable uses include hiring tutors, literacy coaches, and paying for off-campus programs.
The funding came with an acknowledgement that some school districts don’t have the resources to offer expanded after-school care.
“The Administration encourages schools to consider partnering with community-based providers to quickly scale up capacity,” per the 2022-2023 budget.
Woodcraft Rangers started seven new school partnerships this fall and has been able to expand some of its more popular and expensive programs — like mariachi — at other campuses.
“It's a shift from scarcity to abundance,” CEO Brooks said. “It's a wonderful shift, right? But it's still going to take a little time.”
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District offers an in-house before- and after-school program for elementary school students and also partners with the city and the local Boys & Girls Club.
“We have a variety of needs and they can't all be served at the same place at the same time with the same people,” Samarge-Powell said.
The district received an estimated $4.26 million through the expanded learning opportunity program during the 2022-2023 school year, but isn’t yet able to accommodate every family who wants care.
Weeks before the most recent school year started, community and public relations officer Gail Pinsker asked media outlets to spread the word about before- and after-school job openings.
“We have a critical need and families on waiting lists because we do not have enough staff,” Pinsker wrote in an email.
The district was able to fully staff its existing vacancies, but dozens of families were still waiting for a spot in after-school care when the new school year started on Aug. 24.
Samarge-Powell estimated she could easily fill another classroom at every school site that offers after-school care — if she could hire enough staff.
“It's never been a position that's been ... overflowing with applicants,” Samarge-Powell said. adding that it’s become particularly difficult since the start of the pandemic.
One challenge is that many of the district’s before- and after-school positions positions are part-time and pay between $15,000 and $41,000 a year. Full-time roles might require working a split shift between the morning and after-school programs. SMMUSD also requires a valid teacher permit and associate's degree in child development or another related field.
Though state policies allow the district to hire staff with fewer qualifications, Samarge-Powell said that’s not an option.
“That's just not a place we were willing to go right now,” Samarge-Powell said. “Primarily because that's not fair to the kids.”
There are also free- and low-cost programs outside of the public school system.
On any given weekday afternoon, about 400 kids from ages 8 to 18 show up at A Place Called Home’s South L.A. campus.
“We're not a school, but we are a wonderful partner to schools,” said Chief Program Officer Jewel Delegall. “We want to be able to do what schools can't do.”
Classes include dance, art, soccer, music audio recording, theater, and gardening. The nonprofit also convenes peer support groups, offers therapy, and helps with homework.
“Here’s more fun than school,” said 10- year-old- Emmanuel, who likes to play basketball, soccer, football, and volleyball.
The offerings shift with the kids’ interests. For example, the recent addition of a half-dozen guitar classes.
“If there's anything we've learned it’s if a young person doesn't particularly like something, they won't come,” said Bernyce Talley, associate director of arts and creative expression. “We want to embrace them with full arms and say come on in and hang out with us.”
