Emporia schools acknowledge 60-day notice from Boys & Girls Club; district to seek alternatives

The Emporia Board of Education on Wednesday acknowledged that the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas served the district with a 60-day notice to end its after-school program at Emporia sites and asked district administrators to explore other after-school care options for elementary students in the 2025–26 school year.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Pam Stranathans said district staff “were very disappointed” to receive the notice, which came late the prior day and, she said, left little time to arrange replacement care. Stranathans described prior conversations and efforts to understand the club’s financial position and pursue outside funding: “I provided a letter to them and I said specifically, there are people in this district that have a lot of contacts with people in the community that are associated with, different grant funders.”

The district noted the Boys and Girls Club had a 10‑year memorandum of understanding with the district and that the club’s notice would end that agreement seven years early. Board members pressed staff for context about whether the club was reducing services elsewhere and for more detail on the club’s internal decision-making; Stranathans said she did not know the club board’s geographic composition and that the club told the district the reduction was an administrative recommendation following its financial review.

The board voted 7‑0 to adopt a motion acknowledging that the 60‑day notice had been provided and to “task administration with exploring other options for after school care for our elementary students during the 2025–2026 school year.” The motion, as recorded in the minutes, does not approve a replacement vendor; it directs staff to pursue options and report back.

District staff told the board they would inform families that the district will provide “some form of after school care in the coming school year,” though the district cautioned it might not be with the Boys and Girls Club. The board discussion included questions about whether the club was reducing programs in other communities and whether the club had pursued grant funding aggressively; Stranathans said the district had offered contacts to assist with grant outreach and that she believed the club’s grant writer did not send letters unless they were requested.

Board members and staff emphasized the short timeframe left by the notice and the district’s intent to prioritize continuity of care during the transition. No replacement provider or funding source was approved at the meeting.

The board’s acknowledgment motion passed by a 7‑0 vote; administration was directed to report options and next steps to the board.