Iowa — The Iowa Department of Education has awarded nearly $6 million in competitive grants to 67 Iowa schools to create, expand and sustain high-quality before-and-after school programs that support families and advance student achievement in partnership with community organizations. One of those schools is in our main coverage area, and three others are in the surrounding area.
Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow says that by expanding access to before- and after-school programs grounded in evidence-based best practices, Learning Beyond the Bell grants will support improved student achievement, strong attendance, and positive behaviors. She says that the Department is leveraging additional federal funds to increase support for Learning Beyond the Bell grants from $3.5 million to nearly $6 million, encouraged by the “tremendous response of schools and community organizations to this opportunity. We commend all of the awardees for their leadership in realizing our shared vision to bridge and close learning gaps through engaging students in dynamic learning and supporting working families beyond the school day.”
Officials tell us that in determining awards, competitive district applicants demonstrated clear, sustainable plans for offering before- and after-school programming that incorporated evidence-based instruction in identified academic focus areas, based on the needs of the students being served.
In our area, a grant was received by the Sibley-Ocheyedan Elementary School.
Nearby, the Alta Elementary School in the Alta-Aurelia Community School District, the Clay Central Everly Elementary School in the Clay Central Everly Community School District, and the Kingsley Elementary School in the Kingsley-Pierson Community School District all received grants.
More information about the Learning Beyond the Bell Grant is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website. Funds for the Learning Beyond the Bell grant are provided through the Iowa Department of Education’s portion from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (APR ESSER) Fund to address state-level education priorities.
