HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9843 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9843
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 2, 2016
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SUBJECT: Update on SPARC (Strengthening Programs Through Advocacy,
Resources, and Collaboration) Initiative
This Informal Report is being provided to update the Mayor and Council on the Fort Worth SPARC
(Strengthening Programs Through Advocacy, Resources, and Collaboration) initiative.
The City is currently a party to an agreement with The Wallace Foundation, wherein The Wallace
Foundation agreed to grant the City $765,000.00 to create a sustainable city-wide system to ensure high-
quality, accessible, year-round out-of-school time programs for Fort Worth youth (CSC #43490) ("Wallace
Grant"). The SPARC initiative is a product of The Wallace Grant and serves as the citywide initiative for out-
of-school time programs. The Wallace Grant sets out the goals of the SPARC initiative, which include:
(1) Ensure Reliable Data — understanding the needs of the community by compiling new and better
data, particularly in the geographic areas of greatest needs, developing one data repository;
(2) Improve Quality — improving and advancing out-of-school time program quality through
establishment of standards and assessments; and
(3) Establish Coordinating Entity — developing strategies to improve program sustainability and
structure by, among other things, the establishment of a nonprofit organization to serve as the coordinating
entity to manage, lead, and oversee the SPARC initiative.
The City recently entered into a professional services contract with Tobi Jackson, professional educator and
administrator, for consulting services to manage, lead and oversee the development and growth of the
SPARC initiative. Ms. Jackson is currently a member and secretary of the Fort Worth Independent School
District (FWISD) Board of Education for District 2 with her term expiring in 2019. The City's Department of
Law confirmed with FWISD's legal department that the professional services agreement with Ms. Jackson
will not present a conflict of interest. Ms. Jackson began her consulting work with SPARC in January 2016.
The City's Park and Recreation Department has been managing and overseeing the SPARC initiative since
2012 and desires to transition the operation of the initiative to Fort Worth SPARC. The engagement of Ms.
Jackson under a professional services agreement will enable the completion of the transition from the city to
the non-profit entity.
Upon full development of Fort Worth SPARC as the nonprofit organization to serve as the coordinating entity
to continue the Wallace Grant initiative and be a stand-alone entity, staff will submit an M&C to City Council
to contract with Fort Worth SPARC. Included in this transition will be the transfer of any funds remaining
from the Wallace Grant and potentially other funds as requested through the FY17 city budget process.
These funds would provide Fort Worth SPARC assistance in assuming and carrying out the goals of the
SPARC initiative. It is projected that the M&C will be presented to the City Council in May or June 2016 with
the contract executed no later than August 31, 2016.
If additional information or clarification is needed, please contact Richard Zavala, Park and Recreation
Department Director at (817) 392-5711 or Susan Alanis, Assistant City Manager at (817) 392-8180.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS