Redmond ‘Community Learning Centers’ to close

The Redmond School District announced Friday that its Community Learning Center program will end this school year due to the exhaustion of supporting grant funds.

In 2009, Redmond School District received a five-year, $1.7 million 21st Century Learning Center grant to begin CLC programs in schools with the most concentrated populations of at-risk students.

The program operates in M.A. Lynch Elementary, Obsidian Middle School, Terrebonne Community School and Vern Patrick Elementary. Grant funds will run out at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

Community Learning Centers are both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and community resources that focuses on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement.

With more than 40 local agencies and business partners, the district’s CLC programs have given the most at-risk students and their families access to academic intervention and enrichment programs after-school, the district said.

“The district’s general fund, which is still recovering from stagnant and declining state and local revenues, does not have the resources to support the CLC program at this time,” the announcement said.

Many efforts have been implemented to raise financial support for the program, officials said. In 2013, the Redmond Education Foundation provided a grant to fund a part time grant writer, in hopes of acquiring additional funds. Despite these efforts, the program has been unable to secure the funding necessary to continue.

Each school will begin a fundraising campaign in attempt to provide some level of support to their at-risk students.

The cost to implement the CLC program ranges from $60,000-70,000 per school site, which provides full programming with tutors and a full time coordinator. Individuals or organizations interested in supporting the schools affected can contact each school individually.

For questions or more information, please contact Kelly Richard, communications coordinator, at 541-923-8233.