Colorado after-school programs to be scaled back after federal government freezes $80 million in grants
Just weeks before kids head back to class, school districts in Colorado and across the country are wrestling with tough decisions after the U.S. Department of Education announced it was freezing $6 billion in federal grants.
A total of $80 million of that was earmarked for Colorado. Gov. Jared Polis met with educators from across the state, who say they were blindsided by the funding freeze. They say they learned about it June 30, one day before the money -- which was allocated by Congress -- was to be dispersed.
"It's an earthquake," Lake County Superintendent Kate Bartlett told the governor. She says her small school district could lose about $500,000 and families, she says, could lose a lifeline.
The district's after-school program, she says, is almost entirely funded with federal dollars.
"I cannot overstate how embedded this program is in the fabric of our community," Bartlett said.
Bartlett says if the funds aren't there, the district will have no choice but to scale back the program, in a mountain community where there are few child care options and where most parents commute long distances for work.
"Kids who participate in after-school tend to see a boost to their academic progress. So in that way it's an accelerator. It's also an accelerator for economic development because it allows our parents to work until 5 p.m. at night," she said.
She's not alone. Educators from across the state told Polis the loss of federal dollars will be devastating.
"We have planned for these funds. We have hired into positions to support these programs. It's an impact not only on our students -- which is the most important impact -- but it's also an impact on our workforce," said Jefferson County Superintendent Tracy Dorland.
Jeffco would lose about $3 million, Adams County 12 Five Star $3 million, Boulder $1.2 million, Cherry Creek $2.5 million, Douglas $1 million, and Denver $12 million.
"We are currently talking about what are we going to do," Dorland told the governor.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Colorado will also take a hit. Executive Director Stuart Jenkins says they will lose nearly $2 million for after-school programs in the Denver metro area and Pueblo, where he says 90% of kids live in poverty.
"If these funds don't come through and Pueblo has to reduce access, we're not sure where these kids will go," Jenkins said.
Bartlett says she is determined to continue some kind of after-school program in Lake County.
"I am confident that we will see our way through one way or the other. But I don't want to discount how very destabilizing this is given the timeline," she said.
In addition to after-school programs, the $80 million helps fund programs for migrant students, multilingual learners, professional development for teachers and adult education. The Department of Education has not said when -- or if -- it will release the money. It says it's reviewing programming to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in accordance with President Trump's priorities.
Polis says the state is not able to backfill any of the lost dollars if the federal government doesn't come through.