Board reviews after‑school programming, equity concerns and scholarship account
Summary
Staff and partners updated the board on YMCA and community-run after‑school programs, enrollment and summer offerings; board asked staff to verify scholarship account funds and state subsidy use to address equity concerns.
Coordinator Davey Autry told the McMinnville School District board on May 19 that after‑school programming operated in partnership with the YMCA and community groups is continuing at five district schools and that registration for summer and next‑year programs is open.
Autry said current enrollment at two grouped sites is: Buhl and Willamette with 46 enrolled and an average daily attendance of 35; Memorial and Grand Haven with 69 enrolled and an average daily attendance of 47; and Newby with 22 enrolled and an average daily attendance of about 14. He said a small before‑school pilot at Newby has had “only about 1 or 2 students that attend on a regular basis.”
The YMCA’s summer program will be based at Willamette Elementary and run June 16 through Aug. 28; Autry said the summer site will also accommodate the district’s summer feeding program and that the summer program “is open to anybody” in the district. He also said registration is currently open on the YMCA website and that, for the YMCA model, the program’s goal is “to have at least 20 enrolled at each school before they open up programming at each school.”
Board members raised equity and scholarship questions. A board member asked whether the gap between enrollment and daily attendance reflected the same students missing days or different students using services on different schedules; Autry said attendance patterns are situational. Director Anderson noted in the meeting he had a note that the district’s scholarship account (referred to in the discussion as the “KOB account”) had about $263,000 at the last review and asked staff to confirm the current balance.
The board also heard about a separate no‑cost after‑school program at Washer Elementary called “The Zone,” which the presenter identified as run by Northwest Christian Church with grant support including from the Austin Foundation. The presenter said the program serves about 45 students with 58 registered and provides a snack, recess and structured activities; he described it as “a no cost program for our students.”
Board members expressed concern that families at some schools receive free services while families at others may pay sliding fees, and they asked staff to gather data on whether families using the YMCA or other providers are receiving state‑subsidized assistance. Autry summarized the requested follow‑up: verify how YMCA scholarship requests are handled (the YMCA currently contacts the scholarship account), confirm the KOB account balance, and ask YMCA for data on how many district students use state‑subsidized funding to offset fees.
Discussion points - Current enrollment and average daily attendance at YMCA‑partner schools and at Newby’s before‑school pilot. - YMCA summer program dates (June 16–Aug. 28) and registration status. - The Zone at Washer Elementary: program model, grant support and no‑cost student access. - Equity concerns about differential costs to families across schools and potential state subsidy use.
Direction/duties assigned - Coordinator Davey Autry was asked to check with YMCA for (a) the current KOB scholarship account balance and (b) data showing how many district students access state‑subsidized funds to pay for after‑school care.
Decisions - No formal board action or vote was taken; the board requested information and directed staff to follow up.
Ending The board framed the follow‑up as transparency and equity monitoring: staff will return with scholarship‑account figures and data from YMCA about state subsidies so the district can confirm comparable access to after‑school supports across schools.
