MONTICELLO – Six public school districts in the Hudson Valley will receive a total of $7.79 million in state funding to cover the costs of providing after-school programs for 4,860 students.
Governor Andrew Cuomo came to the Kenneth L. Rutherford Elementary School in Monticello on Thursday to announce the funding. He kidded with the auditorium full of students and their teachers that playing video games after school softens their brains. Instead, he said after-school programs in school will aid them as they advance through their education on their way to adulthood and productive jobs.
“There are things that you can do after three o’clock that help you grow and make you better,” Cuomo said. “There’s exercise things you can do, more education that you can do, and going home at three o’clock and just playing with video games doesn’t really help you.”
By the state providing additional funding, more students can have structured after-school activities, the governor said.
The Monticello school district will be funded for 885 slots for children. Also receiving funding for 885 slots each are the East Ramapo, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie districts. Yonkers will be funded for 877 slots and Fallsburg will receive funding for 443 students
