Beverly Hills Unified approves Right At School contract for expanded-learning program despite board concerns about cost

The Beverly Hills Unified School District board on April 29 approved an agreement with Right At School LLC to run the district’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), a summer and after-school program the state requires for eligible students.

The vote passed 4–1 after extended discussion about staffing, vendor vetting and the program’s cost. Trustee Sabag voted no and repeatedly pressed the district for assurances that instructors would be vetted and that the program would not draw an unexpected charge to the general fund.

The board and staff described the contract as “not to exceed” and tied to projected eligible students. Dr. Seaman, an instructional administrator leading the procurement, said the district must provide ELOP per state law and that the district issued a nationwide request for proposals after the City of Beverly Hills and prior partners could no longer manage the growing program. “We went in partnership because we had a JPA agreement with the City of Beverly Hills. Per Education Code, we have to offer extended school day and 30 consecutive school days over the summer,” Dr. Seaman said during the meeting.

District staff told the board the contract assumes up to 581 eligible students across two elementary sites but that current funding from the state (ELOP allocations) totals roughly $518,000; the vendor and program scope could bring total costs above $700,000. Staff said the worst-case district contribution could be about $400,000, but that amount is a ceiling and the final cost will be pro rata based on actual student attendance and hours. The contract would begin this summer; staff said the vendor would start June 9 for the 30-day summer program.

Board members pressed staff on several points: - Trustee Sabag said, “We need to vet every instructional teacher that’s going to be there because they are a part of us,” and asked for live-scan background checks and local hiring preferences. - Trustees and staff clarified that Right At School will vet and live-scan instructors and supply insurance; the district will reconcile vendor invoices monthly against daily attendance. - Staff estimated the summer-only fee at $1,200 per child for the full summer (about $40 per day) when families pay; eligible Title I students would receive services without fee under the grant.

Trustee concerns also focused on the funding shortfall: Dr. Seaman confirmed the ELOP funding is allocated by unduplicated student count and that Beverly Hills USD’s unduplicated percentage is lower than some larger districts, reducing per-student state funding. Staff said there is some carryover from prior years that will partially offset expenses.

After discussion about alternatives — running the program in-house, shortening hours, or approving a summer-only contract — the board approved the Right At School agreement as presented. The vote was recorded as: Javidad — yes; Stewart — yes; Sabag — no; Stern — yes; Manicheri — yes; Marcus — yes (motion passed 5 yes with one recorded no; board recorded one provisional student vote as part of roll call procedures).

What happens next

Staff will receive monthly usage and invoice reconciliation reports from the vendor. If attendance or hours fall short of the ceiling, the district’s monthly payments to the vendor will be reduced accordingly. The district said it will continue exploring alternatives and community partnerships (PTA, BHEF and local vendors) for additional programming or cost offsets in future years.

Why this matters

ELOP is state-funded but commonly underfunded relative to vendor costs. Approval keeps the district compliant with Education Code requirements so eligible students receive care with embedded academic support, but it also commits the district to potentially covering a portion of the program cost from general or restricted funds if participation and contractor rates exceed state allocations.