Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the After School Care topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board acknowledges Boys & Girls Club 60-day notice, tasks administration to seek after‑school alternatives
Summary
The Emporia Public Schools Board of Education acknowledged a 60‑day notice from the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas to end services in Emporia and voted unanimously to task district administration with exploring other after‑school care options for elementary students for 2025–26.
The Emporia Public Schools Board of Education on June 2025 acknowledged receipt of a 60‑day notice from the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas that the nonprofit will end its after‑school program in Emporia.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Pam Stranathans told the board the district received notice late the day before and that the Club confirmed the decision the following morning, a timeline Pam described as "very disheartening, very upsetting." She said the short notice will make it difficult for the district to arrange quality after‑school childcare in time for the coming school year.
Stranathans said the Club cited financial pressures, including scholarship use by many families, and that the district had asked the Club for line‑item cost breakdowns and for the Club’s grant writer to pursue community funding. The district representative said she had also offered to assist by sharing contacts for potential grant funders but learned the Club’s grant writer did not send outreach letters unless specifically requested.
Board members pressed for more details about whether the Club was reducing services elsewhere; Stranathans said Emporia appears to be the only community where the Club is fully withdrawing, though other communities have had staff reductions.
In a motion the board "acknowledge[d] that the 60 day notice has been provided to the school district and task[ed] administration with exploring other options for after school care for our elementary students during the 2025–2026 school year," which passed unanimously.
The board did not accept or countermand the Club’s notice; members emphasized the notice was the Club’s unilateral decision. Stranathans said the district will work to ensure some form of after‑school care is available for families, but added it may not be with the Boys and Girls Club.
Votes at a glance: The motion to acknowledge the 60‑day notice and direct administration to explore alternatives passed 7–0.
