I was glad to see in the News-Press that the Glendale school board
will look at county funds for a year-round teen services program aimed at
reducing harmful personal behavior and increasing high school graduation
rates, among other benefits, for low-income teens.
With an increasing proportion of California parents working,
after-school programs serve many important purposes for children of low
and modest income.
For example, Children Now, a respected statewide children's advocacy
organization, reports children are most likely to be victims of violent
crime committed by a nonfamily member between 2 and 6 p.m., when many
children do not have a safe, adult-supervised place to go.
In California, only a small portion of the 2 million low-income
schoolchildren ages 5 to 13 have access to subsidized after-school
activities. Children Now urges our support for AB 2556 (Hertzberg) that
would expand after-school programs for youth. The bill would create a
School and Community Partnerships Grant Program so school/community
partnerships could offer a variety of services to children during
nonschool hours.
I believe the recent, shocking death of Raul Aguirre outside Hoover
High School is an example of how insufficient funds and programs to serve
youth after-school can have tragic consequences. With a nearly
$13-billion state surplus, surely we can devote some money to this
critical need.
I suggest Glendale residents who want to do something positive in
response to the Hoover High School killing call our Assemblyman, Scott
Wildman, at 240-6330 and urge his support for AB 2556.
KRISTIN OCKERSHAUSER
Glendale
