Cuero Independent School District is planning to apply for a Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant (21st CCLC). This grant will allow for an after-school program for students in need academic support, youth development activities, and family engagement. These funds are federal funding passed down to the Texas Education Agency for competitive grant applications. In the state of Texas this program has been branded as “ACE”.

If funded, the grant would begin with the 2023-2024 school year and can continue for a total of five years. It is required that the public is notified of the intent to apply for this grant. This posting meets that requirement. We invite any feedback, questions, or concerns. We also seek parents and community stakeholders to serve as volunteers on advisory committees.

About the ACE Program:

The federal Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic and enrichment opportunities, during non-school hours for students, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children. Title IV, Part B, specifies that 21st CCLC funds are to be used to provide opportunities for communities to establish or expand activities in community learning centers that do the following:

● Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet the challenging state academic standards.

● Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development activities, service learning, nutrition and health education, drug- and violence-prevention programs, counseling programs, arts, music, physical fitness and wellness programs; technology education programs, financial literacy programs, environmental literacy programs, mathematics, science, career and technical programs, internship or apprenticeship programs, and other ties to an in-demand industry sector or occupation for high school students that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.

● Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.