ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Public Schools announced in a letter to families that a change may be coming to its after-school programming due to uncertainty regarding federal funding.
The district said the following in a letter to families on Thursday:
Dear RCPS families,
We hope you have had a restful summer, and we are excited to welcome our students back in just a few short weeks for the 2025-26 school year! As you begin planning for the year ahead, I want to share important information about potential changes to some of our afterschool programs due to uncertainty in federal funding.
For decades, Roanoke City Public Schools has been fortunate to receive funding through the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. We know our students are safest and most successful when they stay connected to trusted adults. Our 21st Century Afterschool programs, which are fully funded through federal grants, provide critical academic enrichment and support beyond the school day at several of our schools.
Unfortunately, we have recently been informed that this federal funding is currently on hold. As a result, we may need to modify programming this year using some remaining funds from last year. For example, fewer days may be offered, and we may not be able to enroll as many students. We do not yet have a timeline or confirmation about whether funding will be renewed for the full 2025-26 school year or beyond.
The following eight schools were expected to offer 21st Century Afterschool programs in the 2025-26 school year: Fairview Elementary, Garden City Elementary, Hurt Park Elementary, Lincoln Terrace Elementary, Morningside Elementary, Roanoke Academy for Math & Science, Westside Elementary, and Lucy Addison Middle School. We had also planned to re-apply for Fallon Park Elementary and Round Hill Elementary’s grants, but the application has not yet opened. Your school will update you in September when the 21st Century student application process begins.
We remain hopeful that we will receive funding so we can continue these programs, but we cannot guarantee that at this time. In keeping with our commitment to transparency, we wanted to share this information with you now to provide as much notice as possible in case your family needs to explore other options for before- and after-school care. We are fortunate to have strong community partners who share our commitment to student success and also provide afterschool programming. We have reached out to them and have included their contact information on the next page should you need their services.
Please know that we are actively advocating for the release of these federal funds. We understand that this uncertainty causes concern and will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.