New London — Shortly after the New Year, some students at Winthrop and Jennings elementary schools will be allowed to go to school on weekends, vacations and after school.

That may not sound like a student’s dream, but it is a key part of the $809,000 in Alliance District funding that the state Department of Education announced Monday for New London.

Part of the grant will be used to create extended learning time opportunities at all three elementary schools and Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, and the rest for continuing with other initiatives.

New London is one of 30 Alliance Districts named by the state Commissioner of Education, meaning it is one of the 30 lowest-performing districts in the state. Alliance Districts seeking additional state funding had to submit applications detailing how they would spend the money.

The state board’s approval of the district’s plan represents the New London schools’ only monetary increase as the school system did not receive a funding increase from the city for the fifth year in a row.

Winthrop Magnet Elementary School Principal Jaye Wilson said Monday that the city applied for a grant in June from the National Center for Time and Learning. The NCTL is “dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education,” according to the organization’s website.

Wilson said Winthrop’s dean of students, Michelle Han, will represent the school at statewide meetings.

“In their series of meetings they’ll talk about policy, procedure, what road we’ll take and what will work best for each individual district,” Wilson said. “We’re really in the infancy part of this plan.”

She said that by February, 30 percent of Winthrop’s students will participate in a pilot program for the extended learning day. Jennings Elementary School will also participate.

“Extended learning time has to be things that will not cost us additional money,” Wilson said. “So we’ll have to look at what we have and how we can reallocate money so it’s what is best for our students and will give them what they need without incurring any additional costs, which is probably equal to a miracle, but where there’s a will there’s way.”

Before that the schools must choose students to participate and determine whether an adjustment to teachers’ schedules is needed or if the extra time will come through outside agencies, Wilson said.

Nineteen school districts have been approved for the additional Alliance District state funding since Sept. 6.

The district plans to spend some of the grant on a new curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards; revamp teacher evaluation to include criteria for successful performance; creating extended learning time teams; and develop a “high quality teacher corps” with the hiring of Cherese Chery, the district’s new chief talent and human resources officer.

j.hanckel@theday.com

How $809,000 will be used

Closing the achievement gap: $428,000

Added learning time: $120,000

Improving instruction: $110,000

“High expectations:” $80,000

Leadership and accountability: $50,000

Recruiting and retaining talent: $20,000