By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Because of a delay in getting funding for renovations at their future clubhouse on Bayley Road, the Boys and Girls Club of Massena will now offer their after-school program four days per week at Madison and Jefferson schools.

They also plan to open the program to third grade.

The Board of Education unanimously voted in favor of renewing a memorandum of understanding with the club.

“We wanted to move forward with our own club starting in September but we’ve had problems with funding from New York state,” club Executive Director Debra Donatto told the board. “Our projection is we will be in our building by March, but there is no guarantee there.”

She said last year, they offered after-school activities and academic help to grades four to six at Jefferson two days per week and later brought in some Madison students.
“We saw amazing things happen when we saw kids from all the elementary schools come together … we had 88 improve their scores,” according to Donatto.

This year’s program will be Mondays and Tuesdays at Jefferson. Madison will host the club Wednesdays and Thursdays.

She said the Boys and Girls Club helps students of all ability levels, including those struggling with academics and social skills.

“We’re asking the teachers to work with us … the students identified as needing extra intervention, we were able to work with them … spending some quality time with them one-on-one, they were really appreciative of it,” Donatto said. “It was nice too, seeing the kids connect from other schools … they needed that interaction, that bonding.”

The school district will send registration forms through the school with the aim of firing up by Sept. 21.