New York State is helping to fund after-school programs in the Syracuse City School District and Oswego City School District.
In Syracuse, $1,416,000 will increase the number of students who participate by 885. In Oswego, 354 more students will benefit from $566,400.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2017 budget included that funding, and he visited LeMoyne Elementary in Syracuse to hear about the program’s success.
Cuomo was introduced by 5th grader Pratima Neopaney, who was chosen for the honor because of how much she loves to stay after school.
Her program at LeMoyne is three hours long, staying open until 6pm. It’s divided into two sessions: one for academics, the other for enrichment programs. Pratima chooses to do dance.
About after-school programs, Cuomo says:
“Some countries you go to school until 7:00, 8:00 at night. Some countries, there is no summer vacation. They have students in their schools all year round. And you’re going to be competing with these students. So the old thought that it ends at 3:00, no there’s a lot more good that you can do after 3:00. And that’s why they talk about the afterschool programs. Pratima’s learning dance. Computer classes. Where you can learn more in math or whatever your favorite topic is. And that’s a lot more beneficial than going home at 3:00 and sitting on the couch and watching TV or playing with video games.”
