最新杏吧原创

Darlene Sowell, president and CEO of Unleashing Potential, which provides after-school and summer programs in the 最新杏吧原创 area, says her century-old organization stands to lose $900,000, potentially endangering services for kids.

鈥淢y intent is not to close the doors,鈥� Sowell said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pivoting as quickly as we can.鈥�

Sowell met Monday with members of her board of directors to lay out options on how to adjust to the loss of the federal money, which was announced June 30.

Although no decisions have been made, she said it could mean limiting services, cutting some programs or laying off staff spread across University City, Ferguson, Florissant and the Atlas charter school.

鈥淭his organization has weathered the Great Depression. I鈥檓 prayerful my senior staff and the board can rally to continue to serve,鈥� Sowell said.

According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the state stands to lose $64 million after the U.S. Department of Education announced the money would not be released July 1 while the programs are under review.

The six grant programs under the microscope include a primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning programs. In Missouri, the total amounts to more than $19 million in funding assistance.

Along with funding programs operated by Unleashing Potential, the money goes to the Jennings school district, the Boys & Girls Club of 最新杏吧原创 and 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools.

Another $19 million program funds music, art and science and technology programs in districts. SLPS receives $1.1 million through that grant. Riverview Gardens gets $315,000 and Hazelwood schools received $415,000, DESE records show.

Also under review are grants for teachers鈥� professional development, efforts to reduce class sizes and money to teach adults how to read.

Sowell said getting the grants is not easy. The money is reimbursed, and costs are scrutinized by the state.

鈥淚t is a very competitive process,鈥� she said.

She said the funding helps pay for educational experiences including visits to the 最新杏吧原创 Science Center and Meramec Caverns. Later this month, the children will participate in a cardboard boat regatta that teaches children about math and science through the building of boats using cardboard and duct tape.

鈥淭hese are skills that our kids need, not to mention experiences,鈥� Sowell said.

The impact of the cuts varies drastically depending on the demographics of each district. The reductions could press school boards to throttle future pay raises for teachers and the hiring of new teachers at a time when the Legislature and Gov. Mike Kehoe are attempting to pull teacher salaries up from their lowest-in-the-nation ranking.

The freeze also comes as successive Republican governors have made child care a major talking point as a way to get more people into the workforce.

Attempts to expand child care programs by former Gov. Mike Parson and Kehoe have gained some traction in the Republican-controlled Legislature but Sowell said cuts in after-school programs could trigger some parents to stop working in order to be home for the children in the afternoon.

鈥淚t is in part designed to help working families,鈥� Sowell said.

Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, sounded the alarm soon after the freeze was announced, saying in a press release that the loss of the funding could force up to 926 locations to close, affecting 220,000 children and 5,900 employees.

鈥淲ith Independence Day days away, club sites and camps could shutter mid-season 鈥� upending care for working parents and leaving kids without critical safety nets,鈥� he wrote.

In Jefferson City, the Boys & Girls Club is asking for donations from the community to fill a gap of about $380,000, the reported Tuesday.

Others are calling on Congress to intervene, but the Trump administration has not offered a timeline for its review.

鈥淒ESE will continue to monitor the status of these grant programs and provide updates when they become available,鈥� state officials said in a statement.