I would like to add that most of the Latchkey programs in town have Homework Help programs. I tutored for this program. The session started directly after school and ended as soon as each student finished their homework. It was a service provided with Latchkey. When I coached Hockey Cheerleading, I tutored several of the players(free of charge), as did some of the other coaches. The church on 111 had free tutoring, with several state-certified teachers on hand, at least one night a week.
My point is, since tutoring is an issue, I think there are resources out there that aren't being utilized. Honestly, I believe the biggest issue is involvement. Most,95%, of my younger tutoring students never needed academic help, they had discipline issues. They refused to do homework, the parents threw their hands in the air and their grades suffered. THAT is a parenting issue, not a school problem. One last thing, most teachers want to see a kid succeed. I know very few teachers that would refuse to spend extra time before or after school, at lunch, etc..(even after hours,in some cases), to help a struggling student. The key is parental involvement and asking for help.