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New Stillwater parent urges clearer Adventure Club, community education communications as waitlist persists
Summary
A new district parent told the Stillwater Area School Board that delays and errors in Adventure Club and community education registration left her family stuck at No. 10 on the waitlist for months; Superintendent Funk said hires in progress could nearly halve the waiting list.
Ellie Gray, a new Stillwater resident and parent of a first-grader at Affton Lakeland, used the board’s public-comment period to criticize the district’s communication around after-school care and community education programs.
Gray said she registered for Adventure Club immediately after registration opened in February while she was still an “out of unenrolled family” and was told her family was number 10 on the wait list; by July her status had not changed. “We were shocked to learn that Adventure Club isn't lottery based and that incoming families are essentially deprioritized,” she said. “You can't promote the district as an educational destination and then bury new families at the bottom of the list when it comes to after school care.”
Gray said catalog errors, conflicting dates, and banner notices showing last year’s pickup times forced families to register for community education classes without knowing if they would be able to get into Adventure Club. “Families are forced to register for community ed classes without knowing if they'll get into Adventure Club, then cancel those classes when they find out otherwise. Taking spots from families who could have used them is chaotic, unfair, stressful, and messy,” she said. She also said the district had not provided a welcome packet or checklist to help new families navigate programs and enrollment.
Superintendent Funk addressed the board’s response to the wait list during his superintendent report. He said eight candidates were “in the process of being hired,” which he estimated could allow the district to serve about 100 more students and “cut that list in half” depending on final hires. He added five people had interviews scheduled and the district had reached out to six others to schedule interviews — “another total of 11 people” — and said, “If we hired all 19, we would clean the slate,” while noting some candidates may not complete the process.
Gray’s remarks occurred during the public-comment portion of the meeting; board members did not deliberate during public comment but the chair said staff would follow up. The board did not take immediate formal action on Adventure Club policy or placement during the meeting.
Why it matters: Adventure Club and community education schedules and enrollment affect working families’ childcare planning and after-school supervision. Gray said the combination of a fixed wait list position, catalog errors, and unclear timelines created instability for her family and others new to the district.
Board response and next steps: At the meeting the superintendent publicly outlined hiring activity intended to expand Adventure Club capacity. Board members acknowledged Gray’s comments and the chair said the district would follow up with the speaker.
Ending: Gray concluded her remarks by urging improved, proactive communication. The board moved on to other business and did not vote on changes to Adventure Club enrollment policy during this meeting.
