New Article: Role of School Boards in sustaining After-School Programs

Posted by on January 21, 2005

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has released a report on ways that school boards are supporting after-school and summer programs. Building and Sustaining After-School Programs: Successful Practices in School Board Leadership features eight school districts whose boards are providing strategic and innovative leadership for after-school programs through policy and partnerships.

The districts featured in the report include:

* Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
* Covington Independent Public Schools, KY
* Helena Public School District #1, MT
* Palm Beach County Schools, FL
* Sacramento City Unified School District, CA
* Sauk Prairie School District, WI
* Sycamore Community Unit District #427, IL
* Traverse City Area Public Schools, MI

In Covington, for example, the school board recognized its students needed extra help and that their schools were not being used after the regular school day ended. “It’s not rocket science to look at those buildings [and realize] they represent a huge investment in bricks and mortar,” said one Covington school board member. “It’s nonsense to leave them vacant.” The board approved the after-school program for all eight of its schools. “To us, it’s not just a matter of, ‘Well, if we can get the federal [21st Century Community Learning Centers] money, fine,'” he says. “… This program is not just a frill; it’s a critical component of our arsenal to succeed, a major quill in our quiver.” An independent evaluation of Covington’s after-school programs has shown positive results academically, better student attendance, and fewer discipline problems.

Building and Sustaining After-School Programs: Successful Practices in School Board Leadership was produced through NSBA’s Extended-Day Learning Opportunities (EDLO) program, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
To download the 38-page report, go to the EDLO Online Resource Center at http://www.nsba.org/edlo and click the link in the second paragraph. Print copies of the report will be available soon, so please check back in the next few weeks!