Medford schools approve consultancy, task force to expand after-school seats and services

The Medford School Committee on May 19 approved a plan to launch a three‑phase consultancy and a caregiver task force aimed at expanding after‑school programming and clearing long wait lists.

Interim Superintendent Suzanne Gallucci told the committee she heard “a lot of concerns” about after‑school services during listening sessions and described the district’s immediate objectives: evaluate program management, increase enrollment capacity at elementary schools with long wait lists, strengthen partnerships, and improve communications. The committee backed a plan to engage consultant Andrew Munford and the Basic team to do an assessment, develop a strategic plan and provide ongoing professional development.

The nut graf: committee members and parents said the district needs both more seats and better program quality. The consultancy is intended to produce concrete short‑ and long‑term steps — including estimated costs, staffing models and proposed schedules — while keeping the program under district control.

Gallucci described the consultancy as three phases: a program assessment to gather data and site visits, strategic development to create short‑ and long‑term goals and cost estimates, and, after those steps, ongoing professional development and training. “We feel that this consultancy is really going to allow us…to maintain some local control over the program,” she said.

Member Graham, who moved to approve the plan, said the model Munford used in other districts hires full‑time, year‑round staff who design curriculum and also work directly with students, which could allow the district to expand both capacity and program quality. “Once we can get past this hump of our intractable wait list, we actually have an opportunity to start to say, how do we plug the needs of our students into this model in some meaningful way?” Graham said.

Gallucci said the district will form an after‑school task force made up of caregivers, site coordinators, central administration and consulting partners (she named Andrew Munford and City Year as early partners). The task force will advise on program metrics, resource distribution and communications. Gallucci also said the district will pilot enrollment improvements, an automated enrollment system and a parent survey to gauge interest in multiple pickup/coverage tracks.

Parents who addressed the committee urged faster progress and more transparency. Ada Gunning, who identified herself as a Medford resident, told the committee the issue “disproportionately affects women” and called for clearer financial reporting about the after‑school revolving fund. “Your plan incorporates a lot of our ideas,” she said. Michelle Barkson and Jessica Parks, both speaking during public comment, said an extra hour or 90 minutes of care would be “life‑saving” and urged the district to make the lottery and communications more transparent.

The committee approved the motion to move forward with the consultancy and the task force by voice vote after Member Graham placed the motion and Member Entapa seconded it. The motion passed.

The district said the consultancy will start immediately and run into next year; exact fees were “still in the process of being worked out,” Gallucci said. She told the committee she expects to use the after‑school revolving fund for initial costs and will follow up with details about the contract once Basic finalizes a proposal with its board.

Ending: Gallucci said the district will post the presentation on the Medford Public Schools website and send the parent survey to current families and those on wait lists. The committee also asked staff to bring back clearer budget and contract information as the consultancy scope and costs are firmed up.