Following Conflict, Cedar Falls After School Program Could Lose Funding

An award-winning Cedar Falls after school program could be in jeopardy after a disagreement between and the Iowa Department of Education.

Holmes Junior High School Principal David Welter said the school has been told funding of the Echoes After School Program may be drastically reduced for the 2012-2013 school year. That program has been funded using state dropout prevention money.

Nationally and locally, after school programs play an important role in the community. As many as 15 million children have no place to go after the school day ends, and studies show the hours of 3 to 6 p.m. are prime hours for violent juvenile crime and risky behavior, according to an organization called After-School All-Stars, citing research from the U.S. Census and a law enforcement-based organization called Fight Crimes: Invest In Kids. Many districts across the country have faced funding cuts to their after school programs in recent years.

The after school funding issues in Cedar Falls are nuanced.

Iowa Department of Education Deputy Director Jeff Berger said many schools have not been using dropout prevention dollars correctly. Cedar Falls schools could be among them.

"I'd be at home playing video games."

Preventing Dropouts or After School Care?

Berger said he couldn't speak to Cedar Falls or Holmes's situation directly, but his feeling was any school that is being denied the funds they ask for in regards to dropout prevention is being denied because their request does not follow the law.

Under Iowa Code 257, money for dropout prevention must fund activities to help returning or potential dropouts.

Potential dropouts are defined as students meeting at least two of the following qualifications at the middle school level: 1) high rate of absenteeism or frequent tardiness, 2) limited or no extracurricular participation or lack of identification with school, including expressed feelings of not belonging, 3) poor grades, or 4) low achievement scores in reading or math which reflect achievement at two years or more below grade level.

At Holmes, Echoes is used to serve any student, not just those identified as at risk. Therein lies the problem.

Welter acknowledges that many of the over 200 kids who participate in Echoes each week do not meet at least two of those qualifiers. But that's how he wants it to stay.

"The term that's used for this is dropout prevention," he said. "As a cancer survivor, would you come to me and tell me we should wait until stage three or four to start treating the cancer? That’s the analogy I use. Our argument is that by that time the kids are so far gone its not going to be much help no matter what you do."

A "Champion" Program Comes Under the Microscope

Echoes After School Program was started ten years ago with a federal 21st Century Learning Center grant. When that expired, the school district started funding the program with dropout prevention dollars. Five years ago the program was named one of the state's Champion Programs by the Iowa After School Alliance.

Echoes includes academic support for kids needing homework help or extra tutoring, as well as recreational programs like bowling club, tech club, newspaper club, science club, healthy cooking class and weight training, among others.

Some kids are assigned to the program - students who are failing classes, for example, are often assigned to academic support. For others, however, Echoes is a choice, something fun to do after school.

Ninth grader Dakota Jones, 14, said he comes to Echoes almost every day to hit the punching bag. Earbuds in, he releases energy into the bag, as on the other side of the room other students lift weights, laughing and chatting.

"I like this program," Jones said. "You come here after school, have fun with friends, work out a little."

Where Would Kids Go Without Echoes?

If Echoes wasn't an option?

"I'd be at home playing video games," he said.

Welter said a student like Jones isn't necessarily in danger of dropping out, but if the school is providing an after school program for at-risk kids, they'd like to make the programming available to everyone.

"My concern is we want all of our kids to have that opportunity," Welter said. "It’s been a real positive and popular things with many of our kids. It’s a motivator to get kids to school.

Dan Bowers, 39, is Echoes Coordinator at Holmes. It's a full time position - he also helps out with other tasks around the school during the day. From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. each afternoon he roams the halls, calling out to kids by name, making sure they're where they're supposed to be, asking if they've finished their homework and how their day is going.

"Kids are kids. Personally, no matter who a kid is, they're going to struggle at times in their lives and need guidance, whether academic or social," he said. "To say we have to meet those qualifications (of being at risk for dropping out) to serve those kids is ridiculous. Right now we want any kid to come in and have this positive influence."

Official: Earmarked Money Shouldn't Be Used for General Programming

Berger, however, said districts shouldn't be using the money for general programming.

"I get a little frustrated with districts when they come at us that we’ve done something wrong. The law is there to ensure the funds are there for the purpose designated. Districts are pushing back at us saying we want to use these funds for other things," he said. "It was not intended to be general fund support or at the discretion of the districts."

He said the best thing districts could do would be to ask legislators to pass a bill amending the law.

Indeed, Holmes is doing just that. Welter is working with advocacy group School Administrators of Iowa, which is hoping to convince the Iowa legislature to introduce a bill this year that would change how dropout prevention dollars are allotted.

"What we’re asking is if they would allow local districts to apply those local tax dollars as they see the need," he said.

Otherwise, Echoes days may be numbered.