New survey finds that most U.S. public schools offer afterschool programs, but staffing and funding challenges limit access

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical branch within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Educational Sciences (IES), recently released findings from its School Pulse Panel (SPP). This nationally representative survey of public school principals was originally developed to track public schools’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now collects vital data on a range of high-priority issues impacting K-12 public schools, which NCES administers monthly. Using data collected in September 2024, the most recent findings focus on afterschool programs, summer programs, and civics education. Key results include:

• Most schools offer afterschool, but the share of academically focused afterschool programs is dropping. In the 2024-2025 school year, 85% of U.S. public schools offered afterschool programs, and 60% of schools offered academically focused afterschool programs, which include academic assistance and enrichment opportunities. The percentage of schools offering an academically focused afterschool program has slowly decreased, from 66% in 2022, to 64% in 2023, and now to 60%, while the percentage of schools reporting that they are not offering any afterschool programming is steadily inching up (11%, 13%, and 15%, respectively).
   
  • Only 28% of schools reported offering an academic enrichment afterschool program
     
• Most public schools offer summer programming, especially academically focused programming. In addition, 83% of public schools offered summer programs during summer 2024. However, schools were much more likely to offer academically focused summer programs (80%) than summer programs providing recreational activities (20%), work-based learning (5%), or service-learning opportunities (2%).
   
• The ability for schools to meet student demand for afterschool and summer programs remains a challenge. Only 37% of public schools offering any afterschool programming reported that they are able to accommodate all students who wanted to participate. Similarly, slightly less than half of respondents offering summer programs reported they could provide it to all students who needed it (48%).
   
  • Findings are similar for schools offering academically focused programming, as less than half of public schools reported that they can accommodate all students who need academically focused afterschool or summer programs (42% and 45%, respectively).
     
  • Funding and staffing challenges were among the top reasons schools could not offer academically focused afterschool or summer programs for the 2024-2025 school year.

In a press release, Peggy Carr, NCES Commissioner, reflected on the ongoing staffing and funding challenges, stating, “public schools have reported that limited resources and staffing challenges are affecting their ability to provide academically focused after-school programs. These findings, together with our recent data on teacher and staff hiring difficulties, underscore the key staffing needs that impact schools’ efforts to help students regain the academic ground lost during the pandemic.”

NCES’ findings are reinforced by Afterschool Alliance’s provider survey, fielded in autumn 2023, which also identified staffing and program costs as the greatest barriers preventing programs from operating at their fullest capacity. Despite their critical role in supporting academic recovery during and after the pandemic, a significant percentage (73%) of programs expressed concern over their long-term sustainability and funding. As school districts continue to navigate post-pandemic realities, including the expiration of ARP funds, it is imperative that state and federal policymakers prioritize stable funding sources for afterschool programs to ensure that these programs can continue to provide essential academic support, meet rising demand, and foster long-term academic recovery for students nationwide.

View NCES’ interactive School Pulse Panel dashboard.