School District of Lancaster’s decision to sever ties with Community Action Program of Lancaster County will not endanger services offered to children from low-income families, the district said in a statement Friday.
In addition to terminating its contracts with CAP, SDL is asking CAP to return a $25,000 grant it gave the organization last year and is refusing to pay an additional $25,000 promised for the coming school year.
That money is tied to a federal grant of $521,630 CAP stands to lose if it can’t get the $25,000 from another source.
CAP issued a statement Thursday alleging SDL’s actions will hurt the low-income county children it serves. SDL responded Friday with its own statement, calling the allegations “incorrect” and “irresponsible.”
One program involved in the dispute is Early Reading First, which focuses on early language, cognitive and prereading skills that prepare pre-kindergarten children from low-income families for school.
SDL contracted CAP to run the program and has been supplying Early Reading First teachers with professional development and paying them a stipend.
Now that SDL has terminated its contracts with CAP, the district has said it will redesign the program.
Spokeswoman Kelly Herr said the district has determined these teachers and the community would be better served under a different arrangement.
The district announced Friday it is putting together a team to design a professional developmental program appropriate for these preschool teachers.
Early childhood representatives also will be informed once the “new design” is complete, which the district estimates to be no more than a few weeks.
Herr said the district’s intent is to “deliver the best programmatic services for our children.”
“SDL is confident that services will continue without adversely affecting our students,” she said.
CAP’s executive director, Derrick Span, could not immediately be reached for comment.
SDL’s dispute with CAP also involves $535,149 worth of invoices the district has not paid CAP for administering an after-school program.
SDL says it refuses to pay the invoices because of CAP’s sloppy record keeping, an opinion supported by a state auditor general’s report issued this week.
SDL has filed a lawsuit against CAP, asking the court to declare it does not have to pay CAP for any current bill unless the agency can produce accurate invoices.
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