Overton Schools Applying for After-School Grant

Overton County Schools will apply for grant funding to boost its after-school programming.

Extended Learning Director Dr. Patty Dale said the funding would serve nearly 500 elementary school students across the county.

“Not only do they get homework help in the afternoon, but we have lots of very enriching academic activities for the students to do, especially during the last hour, hour-and-a-half of  our after-school program,” Dale said.

The district has received funding through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant in the past. Dale said the district already has plans for what they would do with the funding.

“Everyone that has that grant gets to reapply for it,” Dale said. “We’re trying to improve our after-school programs every year. We’ve got some things we’re really looking forward to this year, to help and increase [growth] in students that need that little extra support in the afternoon.”

The grant funding would apply to the 2019-2020 academic year.

Dale said she would like to expand services to economically-disadvantaged students within the district through the grant funding.

“Next year one of the things we’re wanting to do is, at least two days a week, we’re going to have our guidance counselors working so they can also help counsel those students that might need a little extra help,” Dale said. “If they’re just on that lower social-economic [spectrum] and they need a little extra help, I do everything I can and Overton County Schools does to make sure those students are well taken care of.”

Dale expects to hear back on the grant application’s status later this April.

Overton County Schools previously received over $419,000 for programs at Livingston Academy last year. This year’s grant application would go towards the district’s five elementary schools.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Education.