After school programs in jeopardy for Bibb students amid federal funds withhold

A federal funding freeze by the Trump administration could put several vital Bibb County School District programs in jeopardy, school officials said.

The administration held back roughly $6 billion last week in federal grants for before- and after-school programs,  English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services and teacher professional development, citing a need to review the grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.

The Bibb County School District expects to receive $3.2 million for its 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which pays for after-school programming at 29 different schools in the district.

The funding freeze also will impact the Girls and Boys Club of Central Georgia.

“We’re talking about significant investments into the lives of children and the work that we do,” Bibb Schools Superintendent Dan Sims said. “There’s so many different categories of support covered through these funds and I can’t imagine a world where we don’t continue these good practices.”

The district concluded its summer camps earlier this month. The before- and after-school programs are slated to begin on Sept. 2, and planning for the programs will continue despite the funding freeze, said Lori Ward-Rodgers, assistant superintendent for federal programs at the district.

The programs combined provide care to 2,894 total students every school year, and each program has 20-25 staff members. The district also has about 750 service agreements with tutors, psychologists and other specialists across the county to help run the program. 

After-school programs are particularly important, Sims said, because they offer a safe place for students while parents are working or otherwise unavailable.

The Bibb County School District is the only district in the state that receives funding to provide its virtual school students with after-school programs, said Tracey Muff, the district’s executive director of supplemental services.

Muff said such programs encourage stronger student academic performance, improve  attendance and family engagement.

“We were somewhat shocked, like most school districts across the country, and we are anxiously awaiting clearance so we can move full steam ahead with our original plan for the year,” Ward-Rodgers said.

Ward-Rodgers noted that the district also receives federal funds for its English for Speakers of Other Languages tutors and for teachers’ professional development.

Sims said he is concerned about anything that impacts teacher development, because that leads to “improved outcomes for students.”  

For now, the district is waiting for updates and guidance from the state, he said. 

Sims said it’s too early to say whether the freeze will impact decisions on the millage rate or the budget the board of education approved last month. 

Sims said the district stands with Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods and his statement regarding the funding. 

“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” Woods wrote in a recent news release. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.”