Members of the Los Angeles City Council joined after school program supporters at city hall on Friday to send a message to Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Legislature: Increase funding for afterschool programs and “keep our doors open.”

Councilman Bob Blumenfield calls on others to support Councilman David Ryu, right, and his resolution to fund after school programs.
(photo by Gregory Cornfield)

Dozens of supporters including after school providers, families, students, school board members and community leaders rallied at the front steps of city hall to support state legislation that would increase funding for California’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs for low-income children.

Education committee chairman and Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, authored the resolution, which the city council unanimously approved earlier in the day, to raise awareness about the lack of funding for programs that are at risk of shutting down, losing staff, or eliminating activities. If no action is taken by the Legislature this year, nearly 110,000 LAUSD students – and 500,000 low-income youth in the state – would be affected. As early as next year, 50,000 students could lose access to the programs. As a result, supporters said, California could see more dropouts, higher crime and at-risk students being left behind.

“Insufficient funding levels have hindered the ability of afterschool programs like L.A.’s Best to attract and retain quality staff which has resulted in reduced staffing hours, reduced professional development, the abandonment of specialized instruction and fewer spaces for children,” Ryu said. “It’s absolutely critical that the state Legislature vote to approve AB 2663 so our children can continue to live up to their potential.”

Supporters are asking for $1 more per day per student, or enough of an increase to offset the costs of recent minimum wage increases and provide ASES programs with a “cost-of-living” adjustment.

According to the California After School Advocacy Alliance, state funding for after school programs has not increased since 2007. Supporters pointed to the 19 percent rise in the California Consumer Price Index (CPI) and 33 percent raise in the state minimum wage in the same time, as more reasons to raise funds.

“I strongly believe that state formula funding should take into consideration the minimum wage and other cost drivers.” said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, 3rd District.

Blumenfield explained the the programs need the state’s help because they do not have the flexibility to pass the cost to someone else, which is possible in other industries such as when restaurants raise prices when labor costs increase. He also said with the state’s budget surplus, it’s time to spend the money on children.

“I’m here as a council member in support of this resolution. I’m here as a parent with kids in LAUSD who knows how important afterschool programs are. And I’m here as a concerned Angeleno who sees this as a critical issue for our community,” Blumenfield said.

One of the affected organizations would be LA’s Best, which serves students from Hollywood, Mid City and Koreatown without them ever leaving campus. The president and CEO of LA’s Best, Eric Gurna, said the programs reduce inequities, contribute to public safety and get kids ready for life through academic support, free nutritious meals and enrichment.

“We all like to talk about college- and career-ready, but at LA’s Best we’re trying to get kids ready for the community too, and really ready for life.”

Gurna called on others to join in “demanding” that Brown and the Legislature keep kids and working families a priority and to “keep our doors open.”

“At LA’s BEST, we consider the current funding situation to be an existential threat,” Gurna said. “Despite cuts and raising as much private funds as possible, we are facing a deficit of more than $1 million this school year, and without a state increase three times that amount next year. It’s simply unsustainable.”

ASES program providers include LA’s Best, After-School All-Stars with offices in Hollywood and the Miracle Mile, A World Fit For Kids near MacArthur Park, the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood, and others around the county.

On average, ASES programs operate at schools where more than 80 percent of the students qualify for the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FRPM) program. The programs work to close the achievement gap by providing low-income students up to 115 additional days of learning time. ASES programs also help working parents who rely on after school activities to keep their children safe, so that they can work longer hours to support their families.

LAUSD board member George McKenna explained why the issue is so critical. When children have three basic environments – home, neighborhood and school – it’s important not to limit the one where they will have the most supervision while their parents are busy at work, he said.

“We need this. This is not an add-on. This is an essential. It’s like food, it’s like water, it’s like air, it’s survival for our children,” he said.

Steven Zipperman, chief of the Los Angeles School Police Department, put the alternatives in stark perspective.

“This is something that affects all of this,” he said. “We all know that the crime in the city of Los Angeles is on the rise, we all know that we are short on law enforcement, and all of us see the end result when we don’t invest in our kids. Because if they’re not there after school with the proper mentorship and leadership and socialization that we want to see happen then they will be out in the streets. And they’re either going to be a victim or they’re going to become a suspect later on.”

Councilwoman Nury Martinez, the only elected official in the city of Los Angeles who is also a mother and the city’s only councilwoman, also said she supports increasing the funds for after school programs. She told a story about how her daughter enrolled herself in the after school program after finding a way off the long waiting list. She said the after school programs are in such high demand because they are an extension of the school day.

“It’s not babysitting and it’s not day care,” she said.

Ryu explained how he personally benefitted from after school programs when he was growing up.

“I witnessed firsthand how important these programs were for my mom and dad raising our family,” he said.

“Hopefully Sacramento heard us,” Zipperman said.

Skyler Wonnacott, communications director for Assemblyman Jim Cooper who authored AB 2663, said they are confident because Governor Brown has made education a priority, but noted that he more frequently has been vetoing bills with fiscal impacts on the state. The bill will be considered by the education committee on April 6, and then will go to the appropriations committee.