MADISON ANTI-DRUG EFFORT LOW ON FUNDS

Federal anti-drug money for after-school programs and law enforcement
in Madison soon will dry up, leaving city and school officials
scrambling to come up with new funds.

The so-called Weed and Seed money is intended to be used as a "seed"
for neighborhood improvement and to help "weed" out drug dealers.

The federal program also was geared toward helping communities set up
programs, then find local support to continue them. For Madison, that
day has come; funding runs out in October.

"We knew Weed and Seed wouldn't last forever," said Dorothy Conniff,
Madison's community services supervisor. "But it is really hard to
replace those dollars."

This year, most of the $175,000 portion of the "seed" money is used
for Safe Haven, an after-school program serving about 300 students at
Mendota, Lowell and Glendale elementary schools. Another $50,000 in
"weed money" is used by the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force
for drug interdiction.

Conniff said she fears loss of the after-school programs would be a
severe blow.

"It's clear they (programs) have made a difference not only in their
(students') conduct but also their grades," she said.

Last month, the city was notified it would no longer receive Weed and
Seed money, said Enis Ragland, an aide to Madison Mayor Susan Bauman.

"I don't know what we would have done over the last several years
without those federal funds," Ragland said. "It's going to be a
challenge for the city because I don't think we can afford to abandon
those programs."

Ragland said he is gathering officials from the Madison School
District, local businesses and other organizations to see what can be
done to save the programs.

The Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force has used the money to
buy equipment and pay officers overtime, task force head Lt. William
Housley said.

"It certainly limits the amount of activity and the number of
initiatives you can make," he said.

Ragland said Madison lost the money precisely because the types of
prevention and enforcement actions funded by Weed and Seed seem to be
working here. He said Madison received roughly $4 million over the
past six years.

"Compared to most of the cities that are applying, we have a safe
city," Ragland said. "We've worked very hard to make sure that the
doom and gloom scenario that's happened to other cities doesn't happen
here."