Kids Corner staff warn of unsafe ratios, urge pay and space fixes

Mon'nique Diva, a Kids Corner staff member, told the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board that several after‑school and break‑time sites have been operating at "unsafe ratios" this year and described a recent shift in which a supervisor had only two staff to supervise 100 children. She said the program has struggled to recruit and retain staff, pointing to a low wage she cited in the meeting transcript as "1794" and to poor applicant follow‑through on hiring platforms such as ZipRecruiter and Indeed. According to Diva's remarks, Kids Corner has 88 staff across 10 sites and is on track in district projections to gross $5 million, while some large sites lack adequate space: Dapple Grey was described as the largest site with approximately 180 children and only two regular classrooms available.

The public comments continued when Danielle Johnson, an assistant site supervisor and summer camp art‑room supervisor, urged the board not to raise weekly summer camp enrollment to 300 children. Johnson said the program was already strained when enrollment reached about 200 last year; this year the ages of campers skew younger, which requires smaller staff‑to‑child ratios and more specialized supervision. She warned that raising the cap could lead more 10‑month staff to opt out of summer work, deepening shortages and increasing behavioral issues that supervisors must manage.

District staff acknowledged persistent staffing and space problems and said some interim measures are underway while longer‑term fixes are being pursued. During the meeting Superintendent Dr. Serrano and other staff said they are collecting site‑level feedback and emphasizing hiring and grant strategies in ongoing operational planning. The board did not take formal action on the Kids Corner program during the meeting but heard calls from staff for immediate attention to wages, hiring processes, and space allocation.

Why it matters: Kids Corner provides year‑round and summer care that families depend on for work schedules and child supervision. If staffing and space remain insufficient while enrollment expands, program leaders said the district could face safety and service failures, loss of experienced staff and constrained capacity for paying families. The board will consider budget and operational follow‑ups in upcoming meetings.

What comes next: Staff indicated they will continue recruitment and consider timing for potential policy or budget changes; the board heard multiple requests to prioritize wage and staffing solutions before any enrollment increases are approved. The issue may return to a future meeting with staffing‑level proposals or budget options.