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Date:  October 23, 1995
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Michael Kharfen, ACF (202) 401-9215

"These are the first of the Community Schools Program grants, and tragically, they may be the last," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "President Clinton won important provisions in the Crime Bill that give communities real tools for the fight against crime. Now Congress is rolling back our commitment."

The grant program, originally authorized in the 1994 Crime Bill, is aimed at helping to prevent crime and violent behavior and boost children's academic achievement. The funding supports local programs providing activities like tutoring, workforce preparation and health and social activities. However, future funding for the programs has been eliminated in appropriations measures now pending in Congress.

"Community schools can provide safe havens and opportunities for young people to learn and achieve in the face of violence," Shalala said. "We must not abandon these efforts."

Local Community Schools programs will provide after-school, evening, weekend and holiday activities, as well as summer education and recreational programs. Through public-private partnerships, grantees will provide a broad spectrum of supervised recreational, extracurricular and academic programs. The programs also will train teachers, administrators, social workers, guidance counselors, parent and school volunteers to provide concurrent social services for at-risk students.

"For many children, the crime and violence of their neighborhood robs them of their childhood," said Mary Jo Bane, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "The proposed elimination of this program by Congress will jeopardize community- wide strategies that are aimed at changing the circumstances and attitudes which put children at risk of unhealthy and destructive behavior."

Nearly 3 million thefts and incidents of violent crime occur on or near school grounds annually. In addition, nearly one in five high school students have reported carrying a weapon at least once in a 30-day period. And nearly 8 percent of 9-12 year olds have reported being involved in a fight requiring medical treatment.

"The Community Schools Program is urgently needed in neighborhoods throughout our country," Bane said. "It can help communities develop a hopeful vision and a safe, positive experience for children, youth and their families."

The Community Schools Program was originally funded for FY 1995 at $25.9 million. However, Congress this year rescinded most of that funding. While the President requested $72.5 million for Community Schools for FY 1996, neither the House nor Senate Appropriations Committee has provided any continued funding for the program. As originally contained in the Crime Bill, the program would have provided funds to communities for the next five years.

Today's grant recipients are:

• Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity, Birmingham, Ala., $200,000.
• Pima Youth Partnership, Tucson, Ariz., $200,000.
• St. Johns Educational Thresholds Center, San Francisco, Calif., $200,000.
• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, San Jose, Calif., $200,000.
• Home Start, Inc., San Diego, Calif., $200,000.
• Children's Services International, Salinas, Calif., $200,000.
• East Bay Asian Youth Center, Berkeley, Calif., $200,000.
• Hispanic Health Council, Hartford, Conn., $150,000.
• YMCA of Delaware, Wilmington, Del., $150,000.
• Conner-Harris Foundation, Inc., Washington, D.C., $200,000.
• ASPIRA of Florida, Inc., Miami, Fla., $200,000.
• Anchorage Children's Home of Bay County, Inc., Panama City, Fla., $200,000.
• Wholistic Stress Control Institute, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., $200,000.
• Parents and Children Together, Honolulu, Hawaii, $150,000.
• Wells Community Initiative, Chicago, Ill., $200,000.
• Aunt Martha's Y.S.C., Inc., Matteson, Ill., $200,000.
• Gary Neighborhood Services, Inc., Gary, Ind., $200,000.
• Jane Boyd Community House, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, $150,000.
• United Way of Bluegrass, Inc., Lexington, Ky., $200,000.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, La., $200,000.
• Alliance for a Drug-Free Annapolis, Annapolis, Md., $150,000.
• Citywide Board of Boston Community Centers, Boston, Mass., $200,000.
• Capital Area Community Services, Lansing, Mich., $200,000.
• Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, St. Paul, Minn., $200,000.
• Youth In Need, Inc., St. Charles, Mo., $200,000.
• Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Lame Deer, Mont., $150,000.
• Lincoln Public Schools Foundation, Lincoln, Neb., $200,000.
• New Community Corporation, Newark, N.J., $200,000.
• New Mexico Advocates for Children and Families, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., 150,000.
• Fort Green-Crown Heights Youth Services Coalition, Brooklyn, N.Y., $200,000.
• Promesa, Inc., Bronx, N.Y., $200,000.
• Children's Aid Society, New York, N.Y., $200.000.
• Huntington Youth Bureau, Youth Development Research Institute, Inc., Huntington, N.Y., $200,000.
• Robeson County Communities in Schools, Lumberton, N.C., $200,000.
• Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, $200,000.
• Family and Children's Service, Inc., Tulsa, Okla., $150,000.
• Janus Youth Programs, Inc., Portland, Ore., $150,000.
• City-Wide Improvement and Planning Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., $200,000.
• Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket, Pawtucket, R.I., $150,000.
• Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, Columbia, S.C., $200,000.
• Youth and Family Services, Inc., Rapid City, S.D., $150,000.
• Metropolitan Drug Commission, Knoxville, Tenn., $200,000.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas, $200,000.
• McLennan County Youth Collaboration-Communities in Schools, Inc., Waco, Texas, $200,000.
• Bliss, Inc., Austin, Texas, $200,000.
• Tejas Girl Scout Council, Inc., Dallas, Texas, $200,000.
• Washington County Youth Services Bureau, Montpelier, Vt., $150,000.
• ESHAC, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., $200,000.