Boys & Girls Club programs back on after release of federal funds

The Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club (FSBGC), along with hundreds of other clubs around the country, are scrambling to restart ongoing and planned programs after an 18-day freeze of more than $1 billion in federal funding.

U.S. Department of Education officials unexpectedly halted in early July the disbursement of money from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and declined to say if or when the funding — which had already been approved by Congress — would be released.

Facing pressure from constituents, 10 Republican U.S. senators, including Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., urged Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to release the funds.

A few days later, a Trump administration official said the money would be released after “guardrails” were “put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of executive orders.”

The FSBGC announced in May it received a $700,000 21st Century grant in a partnership with the Future School of Fort Smith to open a teen center designed to provide after-school and summer programs to up to 100 teens a day. The center at the Future School was set to open in the fall of 2025. The grant was supposed to be paid out over four years, with $200,000 provided in the first year, according to FSBGC CEO Beth Presley.

Presley said July 8 they were putting the teen center program on pause because of the funding freeze.

The Alma-based Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diamond Hills has four club sites in Crawford and Logan counties — Alma, Mountainburg, Mulberry, and Paris — that faced elimination of after-school programs if the funding was not made available.

Presley said the agency has now pivoted to start again with the plan to launch the new fall program.

“This is more than just a win for Fort Smith — it’s a win for every teen who needs a safe place to be themselves, to grow, and to thrive,” Presley said in a statement provided Monday (July 21). “We’re proud to partner with Future School to bring this center to life, and we’re grateful to everyone who raised their voices on behalf of our youth.”

Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said the funds release is welcome, but said the delay caused “massive chaos and harm” among hundreds of programs that provide summer learning programs.

“Those programs have now fallen behind on hiring, outreach, contracting, and other work needed to fulfill their essential mission to keep students safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind that their kids will be safe and supervised when schools are out,” Grant said.