Margaretville, NY — Margaretville, NY — Margaretville Central School is pleased to share that thanks to the efforts of The MTC Birdsall Project, to help their hometown district, the summer session of our CROP (Creating Rural Opportunities Partnership) program will run as planned. This is a critical win for our students and families who rely on this enriching program during the summer months.
However, we must emphasize that this achievement does not guarantee funding for the CROP program during the school year. While we have successfully secured the summer session, we are still awaiting clarity on funding for the upcoming school year. The federal government has currently put a hold on the funds to review the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) funding which is more than $6 billion in funding that supports CROP and other school programs nationwide.Despite these funds being mandated by Congress' 2025 spending bill signed by the President in March, they are now at risk. Unfortunately, no timeline or process has been shared for this review, leaving our programs and nearly 1.4 million students nationwide in a precarious situation.
The 21st CCLC program supports around 10,000 local programs that provide critical academic support and enrichment activities. If the funding is not released, many of these vital programs, including ours, may face closure. Additionally, we want to highlight that funding for 2026 is also at risk, which would impact the 2026-2027 school year.
CROP provides vital academic support, enrichment activities, and a safe after-school environment for students throughout the school year. Without renewed and sustained funding, this invaluable program—an essential component of our students’ growth and development—remains at risk.
We are genuinely grateful for the advocacy and support that made the summer CROP program possible. Now, we urge our entire community to take action. Please reach out to your state and federal legislators and advocate for the restoration of funding for the CROP program for the 2025–2026 school year and beyond.
Let’s unite to ensure that every Margaretville student has access to the opportunities they deserve—throughout both the summer and the school year.