H.R. 421·Elementary Intermediate
A Bill to Fund Free After-School Programs at Title I Elementary Schools
Rep. Carter (D-LA)
Pays for free after-school programming until 6 p.m. at every Title I elementary school.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
Every Title I elementary school shall offer a free after-school program running until 6 p.m. on instructional days.
Sec. 2 — Standards
Programs must include homework help and one enrichment activity per day.
Sec. 3 — Funding
$3.1 billion annually.
Sec. 4 — Enforcement
Department of Education oversight.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 421 — A Bill to Fund Free After-School Programs at Title I Elementary Schools
- Funding source
- $3.1B/yr through ED's 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
- Timeline
- Begin next school year.
- Realistic — extends an existing $1.3B program.
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Education (21st CCLC).
- Yes — proven administrative model.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Grant clawback for non-compliant districts.
- Source citation
- Afterschool Alliance (2022), 'America After 3PM' — afterschoolalliance.org.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 1:00 (60s)
Strongest counter-argument
After-school programs serve as taxpayer-subsidized childcare, not academic enrichment.
Your pre-emptive answer
That framing assumes childcare is unworthy — but Heckman's Nobel-cited research (2010) showed every $1 in high-quality school-aged programs returns $7-$12 in lifetime earnings and reduced corrections cost.