District looks to keep after-school program

By NICOLE ANTONUCCI
Staff Writer

RED BANK — Red Bank Public School District officials are determined to retain the district’s after-school program despite a loss of $2.4 million in federal funding.

Superintendent Laura Morana said the district is working to keep the program running at the Red Bank Middle School by using alternate funding sources and collaborating with community agencies.

“We are optimistic that we will have a program for our children … but it won’t be the same program,” Morana said.

Approximately 150 students in grades four through eight attend the after-school program between 3 and 4:30 p.m., while another 100 stay until 6 p.m.

According to Morana, the program was funded for the past five years by the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

The grant allocates $480,000 a year for up to five years to districts with highpoverty and low-performing schools to provide additional enrichment activities during non-school hours.

“We met the criteria for funding, but the pool of money was less than five years ago, so our projects couldn’t be funded. There were other districts that were ahead of us in points,” Morana said.

“We are eligible to apply in the spring of 2014, so we may not have it for just one year.”

In the meantime, she said, the district expects to set aside funds in the budget and work with outside agencies, such as the Boys and Girls Club and the Community YMCA in Red Bank.

Board of Education President Ben Forest said the loss in funding is a blow to the district, as well as to the working families who rely on the after-school programs.

“With the economy as bad as it is, these programs were that much more important,” Forest said. “A lot of families are struggling, and parents are working two jobs. Having these expanded hours helped a lot of families get by.”

Forest said his eighth-grade daughter was taking harp lessons after school, but now has to learn a new instrument with the loss of the program.

“One of our top priorities for the board is to expand and try to replace some of the things the 21st Century grant had brought to the district,” Forest said.

Morana said the families of the students who use the after-school program should know sometime this week what changes are being made in the school program.

“We are finalizing the details,” she