Cuomo Announces Nearly $2 Million To Expand After-School Programs In CNY

by Contributor | November 28, 2017 11:16 pm

OSWEGO – The Oswego City School District is getting a financial shot in the arm from the state.

Governor Andrew Cuomo today (Nov. 28) announced nearly $2 million in Empire State After-School Program funding has been awarded to two high-need school districts in Central New York.

This funding will support the addition of 1,239 new slots, bringing the total number to 2,405 – more than doubling the number of slots from last year. First announced in January as part of the Governor’s 2017 State of the State, a total of $35 million in funding has been enacted in the FY 2018 Budget to provide districts across the state with these five-year grants.

“An investment in our children is an investment in the future of this great state,” Governor Cuomo said. “These after-school programs will help ensure young New Yorkers in high-need school districts receive the guidance they need to become the next generation of leaders, laying the foundation for a stronger New York for all.”

The Oswego City School District will receive $566,400.

“Today’s announcement is vital to the schools across Oswego. I know that this funding will be essential to helping our schools expand their after-school programs,” Oswego Superintendent Dr. Dean Goewey said. “When more children have access to enriching resources at the end of the school day, we ensure that their learning doesn’t end just because the bell rang. I look forward to seeing how this critical investment will help our communities flourish.”

Research has shown that after-school programs are associated with lower school drop-out rates and a reduction in juvenile crime.

School districts receiving funding are in communities with high rates of child poverty and many are in communities designated under the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.

Additional research has shown that children enrolled in high-quality after-school programs have better peer relations, emotional adjustment, conflict-resolution skills, and overall conduct in school, as well as higher scores on standardized tests in math, reading, and language arts.

Quality after-school programs have also been found to have a $3 return on investment for every dollar spent.

Also receiving funds was the Syracuse City School District ($1,416).

About the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative

The New York State Empire Poverty Reduction Initiative includes the cities with the highest concentration of poverty: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, Jamestown, Oneonta, Oswego, Syracuse, Utica and Troy.

ESPRI focuses on using existing resources more effectively and purposefully to end poverty, strengthen relationships between the business, public and nonprofit sectors in each community, and ensure greater coordination between state and local government to expand economic opportunity for all New Yorkers.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/cuomo-announces-nearly-2-million-to-expand-after-school-programs-in-cny/

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