Photo: SDI Productions / E+ / Getty Images
The Poughkeepsie City School District has restarted its Ampact tutoring program today (May 5), despite facing significant funding cuts. The district had to navigate an unexpected loss of federal funding that affected over 500 students in Dutchess County. The funding cuts, which amounted to $185,000, were a result of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency's decision to cancel grants through the AmeriCorps State and National program, impacting AmeriCorps' New York programs.
In response, the district has reallocated existing funds within its contract with AmeriCorps to resume tutoring in the short term. Katrina Gobins, Ampact’s executive director for New York programs, confirmed that all tutors are able to return to service. The tutoring programs, Math Corps and Early Learning Corps, serve 256 and 90 Poughkeepsie students, respectively.
Janet Bisti, Director of Elementary Education, expressed excitement about the return of tutors, highlighting their role in building foundational knowledge and relationships with students. The tutoring programs have shown positive results, with 76% of Math Corps participants improving their assessment scores and 62% of Early Learning Corps students meeting or exceeding targets for numeracy and kindergarten readiness.
The district is also working on a long-term solution to maintain these services through the end of the school year. Meanwhile, New York is among 25 states that have filed a lawsuit to prevent the federal government from implementing the planned cuts.