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Santa Rita Union approves expanded learning plan, adds programs and staff
Summary
The Santa Rita Union Elementary Board approved the district's 2025–26 Expanded Learning Opportunities Plan, adding programs, counseling, and four full-time positions to expand after-school services that grew from about 60 to more than 900 students this year.
The Santa Rita Union Elementary Board on Friday approved the district’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) plan for the 2025–26 school year, authorizing new programs, counseling services and four full-time ELOP teacher positions.
Board approval followed a staff presentation that described program growth and new offerings. The district’s superintendent, Dr. Smith, said, “we went from serving about 60 students to at the end of this year, over 900 students in expanded learning across the district.”
The board’s action formalized additions detailed in the plan: expansion of the MISTECO program from Santa Rita to McKinnon, reinstatement of scouting programming via Scouts of America, split-funded after-school counseling through Sticks and Stones, an expanded-learning teacher on special assignment focused on access for special education students, and student-run media production through the district’s mobile unit. The district also approved posting and hiring four full-time ELOP teacher positions; the presenter said those positions are posted on EdJoin and the posting was extended through July 4.
Staff described the new certificated ELOP teacher role as both an instructional and outreach position: a morning window (roughly 10:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., roughly 7 hours and 25 minutes) to connect with students at the school site and an after-school portion that can be used to recoup average daily attendance under state rules when delivered by a certificated teacher. The district told the board it will place one such position at each elementary site.
Board members praised the additions and asked staff to consider live-theater field trips and flexible part-time job splits if full-time interest is low. The board approved the ELOP plan and the four full-time positions by roll call vote, 4–0.
The approval lets the district begin hiring and implementing the expanded learning services for the 2025–26 school year; staff said recruitment and program start dates will follow standard hiring and program timelines.
