Parents press Webster Groves board to fix Adventure Club staffing and waitlists before school opens

At the Webster Groves School Board meeting on Aug. 14, several parents urged the board to treat the district’s Adventure Club after‑school program as a higher immediate priority, citing long waitlists and staff shortages ahead of the start of school.

Sean Eagleburger, a parent of a second grader at Edgar Road Elementary School, told the board that "last year, 1 in 3 students at Edgar Road had applied for Adventure Club," and that for the coming year "there were spots for less than 20 of the students enrolled at Edgar Road." He said biweekly emails to families on the waitlist since May indicated the district had "been working diligently to hire more staff," but he said those messages became misleading when hires did not follow.

Samantha McLeod, a parent who described relying on Adventure Club to cover time between school dismissal and the end of the work day, said the program offers "consistent routines, social interaction, and a safe place for children" and that when families lack access they face "costly, inconsistent arrangements" that can disrupt family stability.

McLeod and other parents praised the district’s new Adventure Club coordinator, Jana Ramsey, who was hired in July. "She's responsive," McLeod said, adding that Ramsey has been "a great communicator" and that she should be given additional staffing and posting support so positions reach broader candidate pools beyond sites such as Indeed.

Parent Ashley Parker, who said she has two children at Givens Elementary, told the board there is "continued need and urgency, particularly at Givens," and asked for transparency on where individual schools stand on waitlists. At the meeting a parent also said "Currently, 60 children are still on the wait list at Edgar Road alone." (This figure was provided by a speaker during public comment.)

No formal board action was taken during the meeting on Adventure Club; the comments were delivered during the public comment period. Parents asked the board to "express urgency in finding solutions for immediate and current problems" and to support the Adventure Club coordinator with hiring resources and administrative help.

Speakers and staff referenced possible short‑term fixes and reiterated that hiring remains under way. Parents requested the board and district human resources help expand recruitment channels and accelerate placement of staff so families on waitlists are served when school begins.