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Winton Woods approves Boys and Girls Club MOU to open teen after‑school site at middle school
Summary
The school board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton to operate an after‑school teen program at Winton Woods Middle School, including transportation to free summer programs and a proposed 2:30–6 p.m. schedule.
The Winton Woods City School District on April 22 approved a memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton to open a teen‑focused after‑school club at Winton Woods Middle School and to guarantee spots and transportation to the Club’s free summer programs in Hamilton.
The Board voted to approve the agreement after a presentation by Tommy Johns, director with the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton, and CJ Owens, the club director who will be hired for the Winton Woods site. The motion passed unanimously on a roll call of four: Doctor Johnson, Mister Spielman, Miss Bryant and President Smith.
The agreement lays out broad roles and the district’s intent to allocate funds to support the program. Tommy Johns said the Club’s mission is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as caring, productive, and responsible citizens,” and emphasized that the Club’s services are free to families, including transportation for summer programming. CJ Owens told the board he was “super duper excited” and said the program aims to provide mentoring, leadership, tutoring and career exploration for teens.
Board members and school leaders pressed for operational detail during the presentation. Superintendent Denny and Principal Dixon said the Club will work closely with school staff to prioritize referrals for students with higher needs and to run an initial program with a 1:15 staff‑to‑student ratio. Johns and Owens described a planned after‑school schedule of roughly 2:30–6 p.m. Monday through Friday and said the Club will start with a middle‑school focus and may expand to some high‑school students later.
Johns described program components that will be available to Winton Woods students: daily snacks or meals, tutoring and academic support, intramurals and athletics, field trips, and locally developed career programs (for example, a manufacturing curriculum in partnership with local industry). He said the Hamilton organization has grown from an approximately $400,000 operating budget to $1.3 million in recent years and that its model includes a club director, program director and youth development professionals who implement curriculum‑based programming.
Principal Dixon shared a three‑year analysis of behavioral referrals and said a consistent after‑school option “would be avoiding negative consequences” that now originate off campus. Board members and district staff highlighted coordination with the City of Forest Park and the district to place the Club inside the school building so students do not need to travel to access services.
The board approved the MOU without amendment and directed staff to finalize the operational details and begin onboarding Club staff so the program can start in the coming school year. The board also authorized allocation of district funds to support the partnership as described in the MOU.
