Board weighs fee increases and fund balance use to preserve after‑school ‘Excellence’ program

Tanya Garner, the district’s after‑school program lead, presented budget scenarios for the Excellence after‑school program and three fee‑based revenue options aimed at reducing or eliminating the current use of fund balance.

Program background: Garner said the Excellence program currently serves multiple elementary sites and costs roughly $400,000 per year to operate under the district’s existing staffing model, which includes site directors, educational assistants and classroom teachers who run targeted instructional small groups for an hour after school.

Scenarios presented: Garner modeled three fee scenarios for a pared‑down program covering six schools (district leaders had discussed bussing middle‑school participants to elementary sites): - $5.00/day per student (Monday–Friday) would still leave an estimated gap of about $120,000 and would not sustain the current instructional staffing. - $7.00/day would reduce the shortfall but still leave a gap of roughly $83,000 under the scenario’s assumptions. - $8.75/day would narrow the projected gap to about $51,000; Garner noted that higher per‑day fees approach the threshold of what families can reasonably pay and that higher fees shift the program from an instructional model toward supervision if teacher positions are reduced.

Staffing tradeoffs: Garner said the difference between preserving instruction and a lower‑cost supervision model is substantial. A self‑sustaining, no‑fund‑balance program would likely reduce small‑group instructional time and rely more on site staff for supervision only. She listed typical pay rates used in her scenarios: teachers $30/hour, educational assistants $20/hour, and site director stipend/salary about $12,000 in her model.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members said they find the Excellence program valuable and asked staff to present a single recommended option in March. Trustees discussed the program’s equity implications (fees can exclude families who cannot pay) and weather or closure contingencies (snow days and prorating). The board requested that staff present a proposed budget amendment and clarifying language for how fees, fund‑balance use and emergency closures would be handled.

Why it matters: The Excellence program provides after‑school academic supports, tutoring and enrichment for many students; its fate will determine whether the district preserves targeted instructional tutoring or reverts to a lower‑cost supervision model.

Ending: The board asked staff to return to the March meeting with a single recommendation, implementation details and proposed budget language to authorize either fund‑balance use or a fee schedule to proceed for the next school year.