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Milton after‑school programs see demand surge; hiring and space limit expansion
Summary
District officials said demand for community-school after‑school programs rose across sites this year, with lottery applicants up in grades 1–5 and mixed staffing shortages limiting expansion despite high demand.
Milton’s community‑schools after‑school programs entered the 2025–26 school year with increased demand, administrators said at the Aug. 20 school committee meeting, while staffing and space constraints limited how quickly the district can expand offerings.
Superintendent John Phelan reported high summer participation across programs at Caldicott, Cunningham, Glover and Tucker and that lottery applications rose in grades 1–5. “Lottery trends compared to last year is a significant increase in grades 1 through 5 applicants,” he said, adding that kindergarten lottery applicants decreased at most sites except Tucker, which saw a 53% increase.
Program leaders told the committee that each site is operating near or at capacity: Caldicott and Cunningham were at roughly 150 daily capacity with 177 total enrolled and 24 wait‑listed; Glover showed 170 enrolled with 31 on a wait list; Tucker reported 140 enrolled with no current wait list but was operating near capacity. Phelan noted that all kindergarten lottery applicants were granted spots this year.
Officials said capacity limits stem from two main factors: available physical space and the difficulty of hiring and retaining qualified staff. The district listed current openings for group leaders, instructional aides, a kindergarten educator and an assistant supervisor, and urged community members and older students to apply.
The district said it will review the lottery policy and its effects in the fall and report back; Phelan also said administrators want to balance equitable access and continuity for families who had historically maintained a continuous after‑school placement. The finance subcommittee noted that community‑schools programs are intended to be self‑sustaining — fees cover operating costs — and that rapid expansion without revenue adjustments could strain the program’s finances.
Administrators said they plan to evaluate capacity, hiring and the lottery policy this fall and to provide an update to the committee and public in November.
