The federal government has restored $1.3 billion in 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding, allowing Carver to resume its flagship Scholars Program for the 2025–2026 school year at six Norwalk elementary schools.
The U.S. Department of Education announced that the Office of Management and Budget completed its review and released the funds, which had been frozen for several weeks as part of a broader Trump administration review of nearly $7 billion in education grants.
This means that Carver’s Scholars Program will officially resume this fall at the following six Norwalk elementary schools:
Brookside Elementary School
Tracey Magnet School
Fox Run Elementary School
Kendall College and Career Academy
Silvermine Dual Language Magnet School
Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School
Decisions are still pending regarding Carver’s capacity to deliver the Scholars Program at these three additional schools:
Naramake Elementary School
Concord Magnet School
Marvin Elementary School
Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, called the release of the federal funds “an enormous sigh of relief” for thousands of communities nationwide. We at Carver couldn’t agree more.
We are deeply grateful for the bipartisan leadership at every level of government—from Congress to local school officials—who stood up for children and families by advocating for the timely release of these critical funds.
Their commitment sends a powerful message: investing in kids is a national priority.
While we celebrate this win, we recognize that after-school programs like Scholars remain a vital lifeline for working families, helping to close achievement gaps and providing every child with a safe, enriching place to grow.
We are ready. We are grateful. And we remain committed. Carver looks forward to welcoming our Scholars back this fall.