Follow the money all the way through

 From The Lens on Thursday. 

The New Orleans City Council on Thursday unanimously approved $4.6 million in education grant funding for three NOLA Public Schools programs designed to work with the city’s most vulnerable students. 

The funding — which was in question over the past year under the previous council — will support the Travis Hill School at the city’s juvenile detention center; the Center for Resilience, which serves students with severe behavioral health needs; and the district’s student support office, which addresses truancy.

The Harrah’s Fund education grants — money paid to the city by the casino as part of a lease agreement — had historically been given directly to the school district. But a new lease signed by the casino in 2020 broadened the council’s ability to award the grants, and last year, the city council expressed an interest in shifting the funding to early childhood education. 

The previous council had approved a plan to involve the Mayor's Office in the process for distributing these grants. The new council has reversed that decision. Really though, it might not have altered its eventual destination too greatly. This WWNO story explains the mayor's interest likely stems from an effort to prioritize early childhood education. Which could have meant the Harrah's grants would be destined for daycare non-profits instead of these other non-profits with incarcerated and special needs clients.  But there are other contingencies in the works that might convince them to share. 

For example, city council has already placed an Early Childhood Education (ECE) millage proposal on the ballot next month that could alleviate some of the need. According to campaign materials produced by millage proponents, the new tax would provide approximately $21 million which they say could fund just over 1000 ECE "seats" which is the term the private service providers in this area use for the number of children enrolled in pre-school.  It turns out, though, that the actual need for "seats" in New Orleans is estimated between 6,000 and 8000 so, really, this millage would only be a starting point.  However one provision of the stalled "Build Back Better" social infrastructure bill that may still make it through in some form is a near $400 billion allocation for early child care that would make a significant difference against the need for "seats" as well. 

All of this is to say that the ECE outlook isn't necessarily so dire that it demands immediate rediriection of the $4.6 million in Harrah's grants from one set of private non-profits to another. Which is one reason current beneficiaries of those grants, like the Center for Resilience, likely still had a good chance to retain their status even if the mayor's office were to get involved. 

Liz Marcell Williams, the CEO of the Center for Resilience, said the vote reflects the “original intent” of the funding, which she described as being aimed at prioritizing truancy and mental health services in the city’s unique all-charter school district. 

“A school district alone isn’t equipped to address these needs and this is the council really reaffirming it understands that,” she said. 

“I think it’s a really clear stance that the council is fully in support of our city’s most vulnerable youth and in our current climate when we’re having so many conversations about crime, juvenile crime, that there are prevention programs aimed at helping these students,” she said.

The Center for Resilience, which Williams runs, served 15 students when it opened under the state-run Recovery School District in 2015. In 2018, it shifted to a non-profit model contracting with the Orleans Parish School Board. Williams said the program now has a capacity of 50 students. 

“This affirms [the council] understand there are existing programs that are designed to minimize kids’ involvement in crime by addressing truancy, making sure kids who may make risky decisions are supported with mental health services and that kids who do become system involved are getting support.”

Or to put it another way

City Council OKs $4.6 Mil for DAs wife and 2 other carceral programs https://t.co/tF9BXwVJQE

— KD♐︎ (@ineedja_kadeeja) February 3, 2022

Weird that neither the Lens story nor the previously published WWNO report mention that part.  Anyway, Jason Williams's wife's non-profit, originally awarded Harrah's grant funds while Williams was a councilmember, will continue to receive funds from the Harrah's grant. Also, probably, the city will be able to help more children receive daycare services through other private non-profits funded by the new millage Jason Williams helped put on the ballot during his last term on the council.  It's one of those win-wins you like to hear about.