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A decline in participation was one of several factors that did in Seneca Valley High School's after-school Sports Academy program.

The program, which was cut in December to save the county $96,000 for the rest of the fiscal year, provided tutoring and recreation for about 80 at-risk youth at the Germantown high school. It was one of more than $900,000 in cuts the county's Department of Recreation made in its $30 million budget, said Director Gabriel Albornoz.

The Seneca Valley program was cut because of a decline in participation, Albornoz said. Student participation dropped from a daily average of 84 in 2008 to 69 in 2009. 

He attributes that drop to cuts in the number of field trips and a reduction in snacks.

Seneca Valley Principal Dennis Queen said administrators and teachers have tried to incorporate the students into other programs.

"It provided kids with academic support and gave them activities to keep them off the streets," Queen said.

Former Sports Academy participants Jeffrey Paredes, 15, and Trey Cunningham, 16, sophomores, hang out in the halls of the school after school.

"The Sports Academy kept some students out of trouble," Cunningham said. "Now some of us just hang out in the halls after school to avoid getting in trouble."

After-school hours are peak hours for youth to get in trouble, said Montgomery County Police Capt. Thomas Didone, commander of the 5th District station in Germantown.

"The perceived impact is when students don't have structured after school activities, they're more prone to get into mischievous things," Didone said. "We appreciated the program at Seneca Valley and we hope it can return. That would support a critical need for after school activities."

Seneca Valley's program was the only Sports Academy to be cut, Albornoz said. The programs at Montgomery Blair, Springbrook, Wheaton, Paint Branch and Einstein were not affected, he said.