Sacramento City Council to vote on $2 million summer learning program for kids
Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Councilman Jay Schenirer will introduce a proposal to the City Council on Tuesday to spend more $2 million on a summer learning program for K-12 students.
The proposal, in partnership with Sacramento area school districts, will take funds from youth programs that are not taking place this year.
Sacramento’s traditional recreation youth programs budget is more than $6.2 million. Steinberg said based on this summer’s physical distancing guidelines, the city will only be using $1.5 million, leaving $4.5 million for enrichment programs.
“We can serve youth like never before in a variety of ways by appropriately taking advantage in a unique moment both budget wise and the tremendous need out there,” said Steinberg.
The plan is to create a six-week intensive, academic enrichment program for more than 10,000 students who are most at risk, and at grade levels where they are most likely to fall behind.
The program will run collaboratively with community-based organizations, many of which have been financially impacted by COVID-19. Sacramento City Unified, Natomas Unified, Elk Grove Unified and Twin Rivers Unified are among the school districts partnering with the city to develop the program.
Activities include academic enrichment, arts, social and emotional skill building, mental health awareness, technology and job readiness. Council members stressed the program will not be summer school.
“The investments that we make including summer learning will give us the ability to show our students that we are not abandoning them today, but we are making an investment in ensuring that they don’t experience summer learning loss that will impact them potentially in their future,” Sacramento City Unified board president Jessie Ryan said. “We are also saying that we know that they will be the city’s future leaders and that what we do today to respond to this crisis will have a long term impact on their future success.”
Ryan added that many low income students rely on their schools for their academics and social interactions. With schools physically closed since mid-March, many students have missed out on opportunities and programs normally available to them.
“Some of our kids who are most disadvantaged are undocumented or are mixed status families and may have not received resources before this,” said Councilman Eric Guerra. “How do we think about this in the new realm to employ kids and keep them active, and bring a new sense of normalcy?”
Councilmembers will vote Tuesday to spend $250,000 in federal stimulus funds to create summer youth jobs that will hire about 400 students to help with the COVID-19 shutdown. Students could deliver food to seniors, mentor younger students or promote the 2020 Census.
A separate $250,000 will be used to address the needs for mental health services for kids. Also Tuesday, the Council will vote to spend $550,000 in federal stimulus funds to provide free internet access to students and families in need for six months.
The City Council will vote on the first $1 million at its 5 p.m. meeting tonight. Steinberg and Schenirer said they hope to add more funds to the program, but that will depend on the partnerships with the school districts and community organizations.
“This is going to be the summer and year for young people,” Steinberg said.