The Aberdeen School District is in danger of losing its after-school program for the upcoming school year.

The district’s request for a Century 21 grant that would have provided $500,000 each year for five years was not approved. Superintendent Alicia Henderson said the district hopes to put some kind of program together by working with existing local agencies and looking for some local funding.

“We are working diligently to try and put something in place, ideally at all of our schools,” said Superintendent Alicia Henderson at Tuesday’s Aberdeen School Board meeting.

Using other funding sources, including the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, modified programming will be offered to a limited number of students at four of the district’s school buildings this year, according to a district press release.

At this point, A.J. West Elementary School, Central Park Elementary School, Miller Junior High School and Aberdeen High School will be sharing information this fall with their families regarding opportunities for after school support.

The district has offered before and after school programs at multiple sites over the past 10 years, primarily through a five-year Century 21 grant from the U.S. Department of Education that provided $500,000 each year. The most recent five-year grant is scheduled to end prior to this school year.

Asked why the district had its application denied, Henderson said “it was competitive,” as multiple districts apply for a limited number of grants. She added that the district was confident they would be awarded the grant.

“Perhaps there were more districts applying than in the past,” she said. “We certainly believed we had an excellent application. … Quite frankly, we were surprised.”

That funding provided the majority of funding for programs at Aberdeen High School, Harbor High School, Miller Junior High, A.J. West, Robert Gray and Stevens elementary schools.

Henderson said schools will share information with families at back-to-school events about replacement after school programs being offered.

“We probably won’t be able to replace the scope, but we will do our best to put something in place,” said Henderson. “We know how important this program has been to our students and families.”

The district has also reached out to local groups like the YMCA of Grays Harbor for assistance.