Council OKs $583,000 contract with Boys and Girls Club for after-school, summer programs

The Aurora City Council approved a resolution authorizing the director of purchasing to execute a service agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Illinois to administer the city’s after‑school and summer youth programs for the 2025–26 school year, in an amount not to exceed $583,000.

The one‑year contract includes two optional one‑year renewals. Council members asked whether additional school sites — specifically districts/schools referred to during the meeting as “204” and “308” — could be added; Simon Rodriguez, the city’s youth services manager, said staff are in ongoing conversations with those districts but that adding a site requires vendor approval, school‑district coordination and can take time. He said if gaps exist the city and the Boys and Girls Club will work to add sites in future semesters.

Rodriguez told the council the after‑school funds for these programs come from the city’s gaming tax allocation. Council members also discussed the cost tradeoffs of running programs in‑house versus using a nonprofit operator; the city said contractor delivery remains less expensive than an in‑house model once staffing, supervision and overhead are included.

The resolution passed with an 11‑yes, 1‑abstention roll call. Supporters said contracting with a community nonprofit offers budget efficiency and operational continuity; one member abstained from the vote.