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Brooklyn Parents Fundraise After Budget Cuts Slash Weekend Tutoring Program

 Parents and faculty at Bedford Academy are fundraising to restore an afterschool and weekend tutoring program.
Parents and faculty at Bedford Academy are fundraising to restore an afterschool and weekend tutoring program.
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Facebook/Bedford Academy High School

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Parents and faculty at a Brooklyn high school will host several fundraisers to restore an afterschool and weekend tutoring program lost to budget cuts.

The mandatory Saturday instruction at Bedford Academy High School, which helped the school boost its test scores, ended in February because of the cuts, faculty members and students said.

Weekday afterschool tutoring was also forced to start later in the semester, and were reduced from four days a week to just two.

“It’s during this time that teachers can give more one-on-one attention to students,” said assistant principal Cluny Lavache. 

“Now with Saturdays gone, we run the risk of our students having to seek different opportunities in terms of tutoring, but who best to get that information from other than your teacher?”

The extra class time has helped the school achieve “excellent” ratings for Regents preparation and proficiency levels across four subjects, according to faculty and city data. 

Up to 200 of Bedford Academy’s 365 students attended the weekend sessions last year, which are mandatory for all except seniors. During Regents and test prep, the sessions could sometimes span from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“It’s going to be more stressful for kids when we have to take exams," said Jasmine Lindsay, a junior at the school. “Having dinner at school on Saturdays — when we did nine to nines — was not my favorite part, but it really helped me.”

Lindsay’s mother, Monique, helped coordinate a photography auction for the school planned for April 25. Parents will also host a walkathon across the Brooklyn Bridge and sell boxed chocolates to generate funds.

While the exact amount lost this year is unclear, the school’s total tutoring budget runs up to $70,000 per semester, with at least $25,000 covering the weekend sessions, Lavache said.

The Bedford Avenue school suffered budget cuts in the past, this semester marks the first time in 11 years that the program is suspended, Lavache said.

Faculty attributed lack of funding for the program to the expiration of an Expanded Success Initiative grant, which helps to improve college readiness for young black and Latino men.

“Our students have a level of persistence, perseverance, and resiliency,” Lavache said. “When you have hundreds of them coming in on a weekend you might think its crazy, but they see the benefits.”

For more information on the auction at 739 Franklin Bar and Lounge or to find out ways to donate, contact moelin20@aol.com.