Law Funds New Before-School Programs

It’s 6 a.m. and already some students are waiting on the front stoop of Fair Avenue Elementary School in North Hollywood, hours before the doors will open.

For a growing number of children whose parents work an early shift, the school day often begins here or on the school’s unsupervised playground.

Aiming to ensure that children have a safe place to go outside of school hours, a new state law provides funding to create before-school programs and expand after-school programs.

Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Roy Romer, school board President Caprice Young and other school officials gathered at Fair Avenue school Wednesday to tout the law’s benefits.

“If you drive by this school in the early morning, you will see students waiting outside for the door to open,” said Cardenas, who chairs the Assembly Budget Conference Committee. “This legislation will stop that from happening, so our children will have a safe place.”

The Before and After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Partnership Program sets aside $15 million in state funds for before-school homework help, supervised recreation and enrichment programs, said John Liechty, LAUSD assistant superintendent of extended-day programs. Of that amount, $6 million has been allocated to LAUSD elementary and middle schools. Funds have also been allocated to expand after-school programs.

Before-school programs, to be administered by the state education department, are expected to begin in January at 45 district elementary schools--including Fair Avenue--and 15 middle schools, Liechty said.

Cardenas said state education department data show that students in after-school programs achieve higher scores on standardized tests, adding that Fair Avenue is an example of effective after-school initiatives.

Fair Avenue students posted gains on the Stanford 9 over the last three years in all subjects and grades, earning scores near or above the national average, said Principal Maxine Matlen. As a result, the school has seen a 114-point increase over the last three years in its Academic Performance Index, which ranks schools and determines their eligibility for financial rewards.

Matlen attributes the academic gains of her students--80% of whom are English language learners and 94% of whom qualify for free lunches--to after-school tutoring, classes for off-track students, academic mentors and parental involvement.