The California Legislature's decree not to start high school classes earlier than 8:30 a.m. created a new problem for Manteca Unified — unsupervised young teens who didn’t start school until after both parents had gone to work.

It was due to the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule district schools switched to because of the state law as well as issues with juggling bus transportation for rural students in K-12 grade due to staggered start times.

It meant the only source of transportation for hundreds of high school students — parents dropping them off on the way to work — was eliminated in one fell swoop.

At the request of Manteca Unified, Give Every Child a Chance stepped up and launched supervised before school programs at Manteca, Lathrop, East Union and Weston Ranch high schools.

The GECAC Before High School Program offers drop-in tutoring  in addition to providing supervision for studying, organized activities  or just hanging out with friends. At some sites, such as East Union, they have been able to have activities available such a pool tables and items that have proved popular such as making items out of Legos.

It is the latest way that the non-profit community-based free tutoring service launched by the late Antone Ryamus in 1997 is having an impact on the lives and education of students throughout the South County.

“It’s a safe place for high school students before school,” Give Every Child a Chance Chief Executive officer Christina Keefhaver told the Manteca Rotary recently.

On any typical day 110 students are served at Lathrop High, 67 at Manteca High, 28 at East Union High and 19 at Weston Ranch High.

More information on the free Before High School Program is available by contacting the program Director Shayla Monique Johnson at sjohnson@gecac.net

GECAC operates tutoring and structured homework assistance programs at 26 sites.

Due to the COVID pandemic but primarily the switch to late end times for high school students that cut severely into its volunteer tutor base, GEAC has a long waiting list of students waiting to get paired up with mentors.

The number of struggling kids being helped on an individual bases is down to 206, almost a third of what it was at its peak.

GEGAC is looking for volunteers to help chip away at the backlog in a bid to help students succeed in school. Volunteers are asked to contribute a minimum of two hours a week. Information on GECAC and volunteering is available by going to gecac.net.

They also have nearly 900 students in a structured After School Assistance Program.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com