The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved funding to pilot expanded after-school programming with the goal of improving student achievement.
The partnership between the county and Goleta Union School District and the Harding School Foundation is the first of its kind.
The board authorized a $145,000 grant to the Goleta Union School District to launch a pilot Universal TK-K After School Care Program at La Patera Elementary School.
The program will increase the after-school program’s capacity to automatically enroll all transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten students, unless families choose to opt out.
La Patera School was chosen to pilot the program due to the number of families in need of care for their youngest children, many of whom can end up on waitlists. The program will be provided at no or reduced cost to most families.
“The research is clear that extended hours in school are linked to higher academic achievement” said First District Supervisor Das Williams. “By automatically enrolling all students in the after-school program, we hope to remove barriers to participation.”
“We are grateful to be able to partner with the county of Santa Barbara to improve access to after-school programs for our youngest learners in Goleta,” said Goleta Union School Board member Ethan Bertrand.
“Access to quality after-school programs is proven to improve academic performance and social-emotional development, especially among underserved students,” Bertrand said.
The Board of Supervisors also approved $17,000 in funding for the Harding School Foundation’s Garden Program.
The program provides hands-on gardening education for Harding Elementary School students during the summer months, promoting healthier eating habits, addressing food insecurity, and encouraging environmental stewardship among students.
Funding has been secured for the first year of the pilot program. The County First District Office is talking with local funders to seek additional resources to extend the program into additional years.