Daily News: City redirects funding for middle school summer programs to struggling schools
BY LISA L. COLANGELO , BEN CHAPMAN Friday, May 15, 2015, 9:10 AM
City officials have pulled funding for optional summer programs at 41 city middle schools so the money can be used to turn around struggling schools.
The free summer programs, which provide students with tutoring and extracurricular activities, would have been an expansion of Mayor de Blasio’s after-school program for middle schoolers called School’s Out New York City, which has programs in more than 560 schools.
The news, first reported by the education blog Chalkbeat New York means hundreds of kids have to make new plans for their summer activities.
Directors of those programs were told in February they would have funding for the extra programming. But on May 8 they received an email saying the cash would be redirected. The change comes as part of Mayor de Blasio’s executive budget, which was unveiled April 7.
“The executive budget ensures that much-needed services are available to high-need students at 130 struggling schools,” said Dayana Perez, a spokeswoman for the Department of Youth and Community Development.
Perez said summer city programs will still serve more than 70,000 kids. Free programs for city students include training in science, technology, engineering and math — better known as STEM.
De Blasio’s budget puts an extra $33.6 million into fixing troubled schools.
