The superintendent provided updated kindergarten-through-fifth-grade enrollment data and explained how preschool programs are placed across elementary buildings, and board members asked the administration to review provider contract terms after a parent raised concerns about inflexible before-and-after-care fees.

On preschool placement, the superintendent said availability changes year-to-year based on demand and licensing requirements. “Not every building has [preschool],” she said, adding that Emerson, Taft and “Grama” (as listed in the task-force notes) currently host full-day preschool programs. The superintendent said Taft was the only site offering both before-and-after care because its space design met state licensing and staffing requirements.

She explained that preschool operates under different regulations than K–5 programs and that some facilities were designed specifically for those requirements. “When it comes to early morning care and after care, they use separate classrooms other than the classrooms the students use throughout the day,” she said, and noted that before- and after-care availability depends on staffing and whether enough families will use and pay for the service.

A parent raised a contract issue saying the provider for Harrison requires families to pay for both morning and afternoon care even when they need only one. A board member asked the administration to “look into that as a possibility” of offering more flexible payment arrangements; the superintendent said she would investigate.

On district enrollment, the superintendent walked through historical and current enrollment counts, saying total K–5 enrollment has declined over time. A board member said the district has lost “about a thousand students district wide and 450 to 500 elementary students” since around 2015, and that the decline was a long-running factor in facilities planning. The superintendent noted some year-to-year fluctuation related to the COVID period and to preschool program restart variations.

Board members asked whether refugee student numbers have returned to prior-year levels; the superintendent said she would check the current figures. Staffing questions were raised: the superintendent said certified retirements have been substantial and attrition provided limited opportunities to “right-size” staff without layoffs; the district has hired many new certified staff and paraprofessionals this year.

Ending: The superintendent said new data collection and an enrollment timeline will be shared with the board and community; the administration will also review the before-and-after-care contract at Harrison and report recommendations back to the board.