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Gardner after‑school program grows to about 100 students, relies heavily on high‑school staff
Summary
At the Sept. 8 Gardner School Committee meeting, an after‑school program staff member reported growth from about 20–30 students to roughly 100, expanded grade coverage and a staffing pipeline that draws heavily on Gardner High School students.
Zach, an after‑school program staff member, told the Gardner School Committee on Sept. 8 that the district’s extended‑day program has grown substantially since he started. “When we started, we were at, 20, 30 kids. We're at a 100 now,” he said, adding the program now serves students across all three district schools.
The program has opened a fifth‑and‑sixth grade offering and provides volunteer opportunities in summer that may lead to counselor positions, Zach said. He also reported that “70% of our staff are made of Gardner High School students,” and that at least one long‑term employee has gone on to become a first‑grade teacher.
Superintendent (name not specified in the transcript) thanked Zach during communications and called the program a strong community resource. The superintendent noted the district is tracking new after‑school offerings and related activities at the secondary level.
Committee members did not take a formal vote on the presentation; the remarks were given during the public comment/open‑time portion of the agenda.
Why it matters: The expansion changes how families arrange after‑school care, creates paid and volunteer opportunities for high‑school students and supplies a potential local pipeline into district staffing.
Further details: Zach said the program supports K–4 social‑skills programming and that older students can volunteer in summer programming and later become paid staff. The committee did not provide additional funding during the meeting.
