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Farmington reports expanded summer and after‑school offerings; Excel awards $22,000 in tuition aid
Summary
Board received updates on continuing education, Excel after‑school programming and the collaborative preschool: Math Olympiad enrollment rose 50%, Excel awarded $22,000 to 12 families, and the collaborative preschool moved to a randomized, transparent admission model but still has a sizable wait list.
Superintendent Kathleen C. Greeter and staff briefed the Board of Education on the district’s summer learning, continuing‑education and Excel after‑school programs on June 2, highlighting program growth and changes in preschool enrollment procedures.
District staff said offerings will include extended learning opportunities, camps and enrichment across school sites this summer, with a fuller fall report planned. Brenda Dolan, who presented continuing‑education highlights, credited evening custodial staff for facilitating classes in the new high school building and described program transitions after a long‑time coordinator’s departure.
Dolan said the program expanded popular offerings: “we were able to increase enrollment in Math Olympiad, 1 of our most popular after school programs, by 50% this year.” She also reported a record number of GED completions: 14 of 20 enrolled students had completed the GED with two more expected by month’s end — a jump from a prior high of four in 2017.
Brian Zirio reported on Excel (the district’s extended‑learning and care program). He said Excel awarded $22,000 in tuition assistance this year across 12 families and expanded robotics and Lego programs to after‑school at all school sites. Excel also plans to install a new playground at West Woods with a mid‑July target.
District staff described a change to the collaborative preschool admission process: the system moved from a first‑come, first‑served model to a randomized selection process to increase fairness. Staff said the district removed sibling and staff priority this year and randomized those grouped spots as well; the preschool still faces a large wait list (about 56 families in queue at the time of the report and the district on its 71st round of placements).
Administrators emphasized staff professional development gains: more after‑school and preschool employees hold college degrees than in prior years, including more master’s degrees among staff. The Board thanked Excel and continuing‑education staff for building programs that the members said serve Farmington and neighboring communities.
Board members asked clarifying questions about preschool prioritization and wait‑list mechanics; staff said there is currently no sibling priority and that a limited number of spots were reserved in randomized groupings (for example, ten spots for a specific partner in one round). The district will return with a more detailed fall report that will include program finances, participation counts by site and fuller staffing updates.
The board expressed appreciation for evening and program staff and highlighted the district’s STEM Expo earlier in the year, which drew about 350 attendees and showcased projects from pre‑K through grade 12.
