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Dare County presents ASAP after-school program costs and planned fee increase; board was briefed
Summary
District presenters summarized the ASAP after-school enrichment program (licensed, ~30 staff, 300+ students) and explained a proposed fee increase to $80 per week; the board learned the fee had been approved in June at the budget workshop and the Aug. 12 presentation was informational.
District staff briefed the board Aug. 12 on the ASAP after-school enrichment program, which operates at all five elementary schools and offers structured homework time, play activities and snacks. Presenters said the program is licensed as a five-star child-care program, employs about 30 full- and part-time staff and serves more than 300 students total across the five sites.
Staff detailed program costs and a proposal to raise parent fees from the current $60-per-week (one child) to $80 per week (an increase of $20; $40 for each additional child). The district said rates had been unchanged since 2019 and that a prior stabilization grant that allowed pay increases had sunseted; staff also reported that DCS employees receive a 50% discount on fees. The presentation included a monthly payroll cost figure for the 2023-24 year and an estimated $20,000 increase in annual payroll costs tied to an anticipated state pay increase for 2024-25.
Board members clarified that the fee change had been approved earlier during the board's June budget workshop and that the Aug. 12 presentation was informational to show rationale for the increase and the program's affordability relative to local alternatives. Presenters noted the Division of Social Services provides subsidies for eligible families.
The board asked for no further action at the meeting; staff said they would continue to monitor enrollment, staffing and subsidy usage and bring any future budget implications to the board.
