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Parents ask Piedmont council to consider expanding Schoolmates after‑school facility as wait list grows
Summary
Representatives of Beach Elementary’s parent organization asked the council to put a discussion on an upcoming agenda about expanding the Schoolmates after‑school building to reduce a persistent wait list and preserve affordable child care for working families.
Brooke Wall, co‑president of the Beach Parent Organization (BPO), and co‑president Kim Staley urged the Piedmont City Council during public forum to open discussions with the Recreation Department and Piedmont Unified School District about expanding the Schoolmates after‑school facility at Beach Elementary.
"Schoolmates is a lifeline for many of those parents, providing accessible, reliable, and affordable, most importantly affordable aftercare," Wall told the council, saying the program serves families who rely on affordable care to maintain work/home balance. Wall said Beach Elementary enrollment has climbed about 20% in three years and that Schoolmates’ spots have not kept pace. She said the program has a roughly 30‑family wait list.
Staley emphasized that recent short‑term steps — expanding after‑school coverage and allowing the Recreation Department (PRD) to use the auditorium — produced temporary additional spaces but will not meet winter‑term demand. "These are both temporary solutions only," Staley said. She told the council Beach parents have collected 168 petition signatures and asked the city to convene the city Recreation Department, district staff and council to explore long‑term options, including expanding the Schoolmates building and discussing funding sources.
The parents noted a price difference between PRD after‑school enrichment and Schoolmates: Staley said enrichment programs run roughly $28–29 per hour, whereas Schoolmates charges about $11–12 per hour. Wall said roughly 95% of Beach families are two‑working‑parent households and depend on affordable care.
Council members thanked the speakers and accepted the request to share the comments with staff and consider placing the matter on a future agenda. No formal council direction or commitment of funds was made at the meeting.
Why it matters: parents said expanding Schoolmates would increase access to affordable after‑school care for dozens of families, potentially alleviating stress for working households and keeping younger students in supervised programs. The issue ties to city jurisdiction because the Recreation Department operates programs on city property and the Schoolmates building is city‑owned.
Next steps: Parents requested an agenda item to begin a dialog among the city, PRD and Piedmont Unified School District about expansion options and funding. Council members acknowledged the request and indicated staff will follow up.
