Weekly Media Roundup - September 14, 2011

School Counts on Longer Days (Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio)
Read about Ohio’s first mandatory afterschool program, which is helping students at a dropout recovery school improve both their academics and health.

Broward Schools to Close Thanksgiving Week (Sun-Sentinel, Florida)
“Broward County students will have an extended break over Thanksgiving this year, but the cost-saving measure will cut pay for school employees and could create a child care crunch for thousands of working parents,” the Sun-Sentinel reports. The school district voted last week to furlough employees the week of Thanksgiving, closing schools and district offices for two days longer than the typical Thanksgiving vacation and forcing parents to find last-minute care for children.

Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce's YouthQuest Receives $3.1 million from Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint Journal, Michigan)
YouthQuest, an afterschool program of the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, will be able to continue operating through next year thanks to a $3.1 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Hillsborough After-School Parks Program to Return in Limited Form (St. Petersburg Times, Florida)
After parents protested when Hillsborough County proposed scaling back its afterschool parks program, county commissioners last week unanimously approved a proposal that will open 18 additional sites and reduce afterschool program fees.