Committee reviews $300 annual fee proposal to offset county subsidy for middle‑school after‑school program

Fairfax County Health and Human Services Committee members heard a staff proposal on Oct. 7 to reduce the county subsidy for the middle‑school after‑school program by charging families a $300 one‑time annual fee, with students eligible for free and reduced‑price meals exempted. County staff estimated the fee could generate about $1.1 million annually and proposed reducing the Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) general fund transfer by that amount; staff also recommended, beginning in fiscal 2027, that the remaining $2.8 million be included as an annual transfer to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

The recommendation grew from a Board of Supervisors directive to explore ways to reduce the net cost of the program. Lloyd Tucker, Director of Neighborhood and Community Services, said NCS funds primarily cover the salaries and benefits for the after‑school specialist positions while FCPS covers hourly staff, snacks, equipment, vendor programming and late bus transportation. Tucker summarized that NCS general fund expenditures supporting the program are roughly $3.9 million annually.

Chad Preston, Deputy Director of NCS, presented program…