Board approves Right at School contract to expand before-and-aftercare at elementary schools

The University City Board of Education approved a memorandum of understanding with Right at School on a voice vote to expand before- and-aftercare at all four elementary schools beginning next school year.

Rebecca Soriano, who presented the proposal, said Right at School would offer a range of pricing options — two through five days, a punch-card system and “a $40 drop-in option, also.” She told the board the vendor will recruit, hire, train and manage all program staff and supply marketing materials and family meetings so the district would not need to produce outreach collateral.

The proposal responded to parent feedback gathered in district surveys, Soriano said: families prioritized program hours and wanted flexibility such as paying only for days their children attend. She told the board 38 survey responses were received, 30 from families already using care, and that more than half of existing families expressed interest in programming during spring and winter breaks.

Soriano said Right at School will help families navigate child-subsidy applications and will offer employee and military discounts where eligible. Board members asked about pricing and were told the new provider would start at the district's existing rate; discount eligibility and punch-card options were highlighted as ways to address affordability concerns.

The board voted to approve the MOU during the meeting. The contract is structured as an MOU; specific operational details — final staffing rosters, exact enrollment caps per site, and long-term pricing adjustments — will be worked out as the vendor and district finalize implementation.

The board did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting transcript; the approval was announced by voice vote with no opposed responses recorded.