Newark, MD, August 28, 2023– Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) was notified that the school system will receive $800,000 to fund afterschool programs at identified economically disadvantaged schools, freeing funding to restore those afterschool programs previously cut as a result of Maintenance of Effort funding for this fiscal year.
The school system has received two $400,000 grants through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program to establish the elementary and secondary STAR (Students that are Ready) programs at the following schools: Pocomoke Elementary, Middle, and High Schools; Snow Hill Elementary, Middle, and High Schools; and Buckingham Elementary School. This grant funding is renewable throughout the three-year grant period if continuation grants are approved annually.
As the identified schools will use this grant funding to establish the STAR programs for students, funding that had been dedicated to those programs as a part of the FY 2024 budget can be reallocated to restore the afterschool programs previously cut at Ocean City and Showell Elementary Schools, Berlin Intermediate School, and Stephen Decatur Middle and High Schools.
“Receiving this news was very exciting for our school system,” Superintendent Lou Taylor said. “Not only will the schools implementing the STAR program be able to offer their students a robust afterschool program, but those schools in the northern region will now be able to offer valuable afterschool programs to their students as well.”
In alignment with WCPS’ Blueprint implementation plan, the new STAR programs will offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development and engagement activities, substance abuse and alcohol prevention, service-learning, violence prevention, counseling, art, music, recreation, and technology education that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.
Providing evidence-based, research-based, and teacher-created afterschool programs has been a cornerstone of WCPS’ strategy for student success. In the Spring of 2023 alone, WCPS afterschool programs served over 1,400 students. Approximately 55% of students served receive free or reduced meal benefits (FARMS), and 14% of students served were identified as having special needs.
“We have worked hard to eliminate the stigma of out-of-school time being only for remediation or 'failing' students,” Taylor said. “Our programs are educational, but also fun, engaging, and include enrichment and interest-based components. Being able to ensure they are offered at every school in our system this year is vital for our students’ success.”
While the reallocation of funds enables the school system to restore afterschool programs at the above mentioned schools, 2024 summer programs at these schools remain eliminated at this time.