SPOKANE, Wash. — With students heading back to class, the Spokane City Council is looking for ways to help kids bounce back from the repercussions of the pandemic.
“We see absenteeism as a major problem in schools today,” said city councilmember Zack Zappone. “Oftentimes in my class teaching first period tenth grade, half of my class will be gone in the morning.”
Zappone can say firsthand that classroom dynamics have changed.
“That chronic absenteeism has shot through the roof since COVID,” he said.
The Spokane City Council is addressing these concerns with $80 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan. The city has until the end of the year to give this money to causes that need it most: the areas of Spokane still hurting from the pandemic.
“We’re hearing the needs of youth being engaged and staying out of trouble and having places to go after school,” said Zappone.
After school programs like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane County said they have had to navigate rising expenses and a heightened demand for services in recent years.