Board declines to take up Springboard afterschool contract; approves other contracts
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Summary
Trustees questioned an ELOP Springboard proposal for after‑school tutoring and voted to approve other contracts while leaving Springboard for further review; staff said Springboard negotiated an $80,000 reduction but trustees raised cost, fidelity and in‑house alternatives.
The Santa Rosa City Schools board discussed a proposed Springboard contract for Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) services at its Dec. 17 meeting. Staff said Springboard revised its curriculum for after‑school use and agreed to reduce cost by about $80,000. The contract proposal was described as serving roughly 500 students at about $500 per student (a quarter‑million dollars overall), a price that prompted trustee questions about value and whether in‑house staff or local nonprofits like Conmigo or Read on Sonoma could deliver similar outcomes at lower cost.
Trustees pressed staff on how vendors were selected (RFP process) and on metrics (parent engagement, fidelity in new settings such as Boys & Girls Club). Trustee Medina recommended exploring local, lower‑cost alternatives and staff said they would provide additional evaluation and outcome data in January. The board moved to approve contracts 1, 2 and 4 from the contract summary list but did not move the Springboard item; that motion passed by roll call.
Staff said ELOP funds are restricted to 'beyond the bell' uses (before/after school, breaks) and cannot be reallocated to classroom instruction without following the RFP/contracting process.
Next steps: staff will return performance and fidelity data for Springboard in the new year and the board asked for further comparisons to local alternatives and cost analyses.
