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Board approves Think Together 20-day summer program; parents ask for clearer notification and equity
Summary
The board approved a 20-day Think Together summer program (June 2–30) that will be free for unduplicated pupils and charge $450 for non-unduplicated students; parents and community members asked for clearer site-by-site fee clarity, advance notice and reassurance about how required additional days will be provided.
The Newark Unified Board of Education on March 17 approved a contract for a 20-day Think Together non-instructional day (summer) program to run June 2–30.
Public commenter Cindy Parks highlighted wide fee disparities across sites in the district’s after-school program, asking whether the $450 fee for non-unduplicated pupils (non-UPP) will be applied districtwide. District staff (Miss Allard and colleagues) said the proposed summer program will be offered at all sites, that unduplicated pupils will attend for free and that the $450 fee applies to non-UPP participants for the 20-day program. Staff said a flyer and parent letter were prepared to be released pending the board’s vote.
Board members pressed staff on how the district would meet the education code requirement to offer 30 total days of extended learning opportunity program (ELOP) service (staff said the district can offer 20 summer days plus 10 additional days during the school year tied to non-instructional days). Members also discussed whether the $450 fee could be reduced for the shorter 20-day summer program; staff said the program is a nine-hour day and that the $450 amount equates to roughly $2 per hour when compared to local private options.
The board approved the Think Together contract; the meeting record shows the vote counted as four yeses, with one board member absent and the student board member abstaining.
