Nonprofit aims to restore funding for East St. Louis after-school programs. How?

A nonprofit is making another push to restore grant funding for after-school programs and tutoring for vulnerable students in East St. Louis and other Illinois school districts.

The U.S. Department of Education canceled the Full-Service Community Schools grant program in December, and funding to grantees was discontinued last month.

Afterschool for Children and Teens Now Illinois asked a federal court to stop the department from discontinuing funding, but that request was denied.

ACT Now announced Tuesday it plans to appeal the case to the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Every day this funding remains unavailable, children and families lose access to services that help students succeed in school and in life,” Susan Stanton, ACT Now’s executive director, said in a statement. “The harm is immediate, ongoing and irreparable. Schools and nonprofit partners are being forced to delay services, reduce staffing, suspend programming and scale back support for students who need it most.”

James Avant and Annette Harris Officer elementary schools in East St. Louis each receive $500,000 to run their after-school programs and tutoring for reading and math. School officials have described the funding as a lifeline for the district’s families and students.

The U.S. Department of Education has argued the grant program “does not align with the Administration’s priorities” and many of the programs funded by the grants focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

ACT Now Illinois filed its lawsuit shortly after the grant program was canceled, alleging the decision was unlawful and ran contrary to Congress’ intent when it funded the program.

The Chicago-based nonprofit is asking the federal appellate court to expedite its consideration in the case “given the significant public interest and ongoing injury to students and families,” the nonprofit said in a press release.