CHESAPEAKE — It’s extending the classroom experience beyond the regular school day so that learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings.

That’s one of the purposes behind the after-school program that started last year at the Chesapeake Middle School. Now a similar program will start this fall at Chesapeake Elementary School.

Teaming up with the school district will be Ohio University Southern and Marshall University to create PASS or Panthers Achieving School Success. The program is funded with a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant.

“We are very pleased to have received the district’s second 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant,” according to Dr. Scott Howard, district superintendent. “It’s great to have the opportunity to offer our students and parents a comprehensive after-school program beginning at the elementary and continuing through middle school.”

That grant was one of 35 given out by the Ohio Department of Education and if the school district applies over the next four years could potentially bring in $850,000. It is Howard’s belief that such programs will give students an extra boost as they continue their academic career.

“We believe the after-school program will be helpful in preparing our students for high school, additional education or training beyond high school,” he said.

Also new for Chesapeake schools will be adding SMART boards, the interactive boards that display Internet information, students’ work, sound and video files.

There will be a number of new faces in the district including Kristen Black and Holly Dillon teaching first grade, Mary Heffner, Dani Cash and Ashley Bragg teaching third grade and Susan Pay as the new speech pathologist.