Booker T. Washington Center outlines century‑long partnership and after‑school services

Don Hilliard, speaking for Booker T. Washington Center, told the Erie City School District board that his organization provides long‑standing community social services and year‑round programming that complements the district’s work.

“We have been serving this community for over 100 years, serving the Erie community, 105 to be exact,” Hilliard said as he described the center’s mission to support families living in poverty with after‑school supervision, academic support, nutrition and evidence‑based prevention programs such as Too Good for Violence and Too Good for Drugs.

Hilliard said the center’s after‑school program operates Monday–Friday from about 2:30 to 7 p.m., serves k–12 students, has six direct staff on site and has 133 students registered for the after‑school program. He told the board that roughly 56% of participants are enrolled in the Erie School District under a district sign‑in reporting system used for funding purposes, and that program participants come from most district schools (12 of the district’s 16 schools, in his account).

He asked the district for deeper operational coordination on classroom supports and academic platforms, noting that some students lack login codes for I‑Ready and Amplify and requesting better communication so center staff can assist students on those platforms. He also asked the district to reconsider the historical practice of sending teachers to the center during summer programs, saying certified teachers previously supported summer instruction directly but that cost constraints have limited that arrangement.

Board members asked follow‑up questions about program history, enrollment from specific schools and attendance comparison to school building attendance; district staff said they run annual program efficacy reports and will start sharing building‑level data where useful. No formal action was taken; board members expressed appreciation for the partnership and asked administration and the center to continue improving data sharing and coordination.