YMCA steps into education initiative

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BY LISA MUNGER / Lincoln Journal Star

The YMCA announced Thursday it will step into the gap left by the city in providing before- and after-school programs at two Lincoln schools.

The nonprofit agency plans to provide Community Learning Center programs at Pershing Elementary and Mickle Middle schools starting in the fall.

Mayor Chris Beutler outlined a plan last week for the city to step out of providing direct services as a lead agency in the CLC initiative. He hopes to shift the city’s responsibilities in the communitywide program to nonprofit groups as a cost-savings measure.

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Keagan Anderson catches a ball during gym time at Community Learning Center summer program at McPhee Elementary School last month. (LJS file)

Keagan Anderson catches a ball during gym time at Community Learning Center summer program at McPhee Elementary School last month. (LJS file)

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The centers serve nearly 4,000 Lincoln students with before- and after-school programs at 18 elementary schools and five middle schools. The initiative partners with agencies that hire site supervisors and provide before- and after-school programs.

Until last week, the city was the lead agency at six centers and provided before- and after-school programs at eight sites.

With Thursday’s announcement, the city no longer will serve as a lead agency at three of those centers and will end providing before- and after-school programs at three sites.

The city and initiative coordinators plan to continue looking for agencies to take over the city’s role as lead agency at Belmont Elementary and as the provider of before- and after-school programs at Norwood Park and Belmont elementary schools.

“Services will not be interrupted,” said LeaAnn Johnson, co-coordinator of the CLC initiative. “We plan a seamless transition so that families will have services available to them.”

The nationally recognized initiative brings the city, schools and nonprofit groups together to offer educational services meant to improve learning and strengthen families and neighborhoods.

Johnson said the prices families pay for the programs may go up in the fall with the new providers, but that serving families will remain the initiative’s main priority.

“We strongly want to encourage families to work with service providers. … They all have sliding fee scales,” she said.

Cost should not keep families from sending their kids to the programs, Johnson said. Parents should call the agency in charge of their kids’ school program to seek financial assistance to help with cost increases.

The YMCA, too, plans to extend financial help to families that can’t afford the programs on their own.

“The YMCA has an aggressive financial assistance campaign just to raise money for these types of needs,” said Barbara Bettin, president/CEO of Lincoln YMCA. “This is part of our mission.”

Bettin said the YMCA’s program fees reflect the expense the organization needs to cover its costs, not make money.

“We’re a nonprofit; we want to make programs affordable for people that need help,” she said. 

The city will provide $40,000 per year to the YMCA to continue before- and after-school programs at Pershing and Mickle.

“We are very excited that a reputable and outstanding partner like the YMCA has stepped up,” mayoral aide Rick Hoppe said. “We look forward to continuing a partnership for years to come.”

Reach Lisa Munger at lmunger@journalstar.com or 473-7306.