File #: Res 1218-2005    Version: Name: NYC Department of Education to discontinue the practice of charging facility fees for after-school programs.
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Committee: Committee on Youth Services
On agenda: 10/27/2005
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to maximize the use of school facility space during non-school hours for community programs and tutoring and enrichment activities, and to allow the use of such facilities for such purposes without charging facility fees.
Sponsors: Miguel Martinez, Tony Avella, Charles Barron, Gale A. Brewer, Yvette D. Clarke, Lewis A. Fidler, Helen D. Foster, James F. Gennaro, G. Oliver Koppell, John C. Liu, Annabel Palma, Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., James Sanders, Jr., Kendall Stewart, Albert Vann, David I. Weprin, Robert Jackson, Michael E. McMahon, Larry B. Seabrook
Council Member Sponsors: 19
Attachments: 1. Committee Report 11/21/05, 2. Hearing Transcript 11/21/05, 3. Committee Report 12/8/05, 4. Hearing Transcript 12/8/05, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 12/8/05
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
12/8/2005AMiguel Martinez City Council Approved, by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2005*Miguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2005*Miguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2005*Miguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/8/2005AMiguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
11/21/2005*Miguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/21/2005*Miguel Martinez Committee on Youth Services Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/27/2005*Miguel Martinez City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/27/2005*Miguel Martinez City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Res. No. 1218-A

 

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to maximize the use of school facility space during non-school hours for community programs and tutoring and enrichment activities, and to allow the use of such facilities for such purposes without charging facility fees.

 

By Council Members Martinez, Avella, Barron, Brewer, Clarke, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Koppell, Liu, Palma, Recchia Jr., Sanders Jr., Stewart, Vann, Weprin, Jackson, McMahon and Seabrook

 

                     

Whereas, Community programs and tutoring and enrichment activities provide the people of New York City with crucial services; and

Whereas, In particular, after-school programs offer young people a chance to improve pedagological and social development in a safe and stimulating environment; and

Whereas, a number of after-school programs operate within school facilities run by the New York City Department of Education (DOE); and

Whereas, Such programs include the Out-of-School-Time (OST) Program, which includes a mix of after-school academic support, sports and cultural programs, and the After-School Corporation, which operates individual after-school programs for children in kindergarten through 12th grade; and

Whereas, After-school programs located in City public schools also include the Beacon Program, which operates in 80 public school buildings, as well as a number of other independent programs; and

Whereas, Organizations that operate after-school programs in public schools are assessed certain costs for utilizing school facilities; and

Whereas, This year, DOE, through an intra-city transfer agreement with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), will cover all facility costs for OST programs and OST-related programs that operate in DOE facilities; and

Whereas, Furthermore, DYCD will use the four million dollars the Council included in the Fiscal Year 2006 Adopted Budget to pay DOE to cover the facility costs for Beacon programs that operate in DOE facilities; and

Whereas, These facility costs include monies to pay for security personnel, opening fees, fingerprinting of provider staff and the unsubsidized portion of snacks; and

Whereas, Providers who operate other after-school or community programs at DOE facilities must pay facility costs out of their contracted budget; and

Whereas, The imposition of facility fees results in a reduction of much-needed services, because organizations providing such services must dedicate funds to the payment of such fees rather than to the direct provision of services; and

Whereas, The recent restructuring of the way the City funds after-school programs may result in a significant reduction in the number of children served by such programs, and the children of New York City deserve as much access to quality services as possible, including in the evening and on weekends; and

Whereas, Further, DOE should make an effort to expand the use of school facility space to any community program that works to enrich lives and further the skills of the people of New York; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to maximize the use of school facility space during non-school hours for community programs and tutoring and enrichment activities, and to allow the use of such facilities for such purposes without charging facility fees.

JC

11/16/05

LS-3365