Grant funds after-school program for Berryville students

Elementary and Intermediate students in Berryville will have the opportunity to attend a free after-school program during the 2023-2024 school year thanks to a grant the district was recently awarded.

The Berryville School District is receiving the 21st Century Nita M. Lowey Community Learning Center Grant through the Arkansas Department of Education that will allow it to offer a free after-school program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The program, the Bobcat Academy, is renewable for up to five years. Funding for the first year is $200,000.

Students will have access to tutoring in literacy and math, enrichment in music and the arts, exposure to STEM activities and careers — such as robotics — and field trip experiences.

The first day of the Bobcat Academy will be Tuesday, September 5. Program hours will be from 3:15 p.m. — immediately after regular school dismissal — until 5:30 p.m., each Monday through Thursday.

A daily snack pack will be provided for students and buses will be available for families needing transportation services.

“We expect a high level of interest based upon the feedback we received from the parent and family survey that was administered in the spring,” said Dr. Tammi Davis, the district’s director of curriculum and federal programs. “Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to complete the preregistration form, found on the district website and social media outlets, as soon as possible. Plans are being made right now for the program startup date of Sept. 5.”

The district applied for the grant “months in advance,” Davis said, and application was a lengthy process, including a complete budget that outlined how the grant funds would be utilized, as well as how the district would establish goals and ways to measure the goals.

“There were a few of us working on the application because it is so extensive,” Davis said. “Everyone is busy so in order to get it done and done well, we had to divide and conquer different pieces of the application. The two principals, Dr. Lisa Geren and Mrs. Christy Graham helped with information about their buildings. Ashley Sharp, instructional facilitator for the intermediate school, pulled the data together and worked on the goals.

“It was a total group effort and had to be. We met as a group and worked on it one full day and into the evening hours. In fact, it was almost 10 p.m. at night when we submitted the application.”

The district learned the grant application had made it through the first phase of the process weeks later, advancing to a review process by a state committee. In May, the district received official notification of the award, Davis said.

“The impact of this grant will be amazing for our students and families,” she said. “Our target is 200 kids. That’s 200 kindergarten through fifth-graders who will receive free tutoring, exposure to additional STEM activities, art and music enrichment and field experiences.

“Families will have a place for their child to go after school for two hours, free of charge, where they will have a snack and have extended learning in a safe environment. Bus transportation will be provided for families that need it as well, so this grant is a major win for Berryville in every aspect, and we are very excited about it.“ For any questions or clarification regarding the Bobcat Academy contact Davis at tdavis@bobcat. k12.ar.us.