Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Partnerships topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Merced board approves partnerships to bring Junior Giants, SWAG and Twisters programs to students
Summary
The school board unanimously approved contracts with the City of Merced Parks & Recreation (Junior Giants), Students With Aspiring Goals (SWAG) and Twisters Volleyball to expand after-school and summer sports, fitness and enrichment for thousands of students, with district transportation and wait-list management addressed.
The Merced City School District board unanimously approved three separate partnership contracts to expand youth sports and fitness opportunities.
The board authorized a pilot contribution to the City of Merced Parks & Recreation to fund Junior Giants, a free co-ed baseball and softball program for youth ages 5–13. District staff said ELOP funds would be used to reduce barriers, the pilot could serve up to 300 MCSD students and the program will use the district-adjacent Youth Sports Complex for practices and games. Parks staff said the district would prioritize transportation and outreach to ensure equitable access.
Trustees also approved a contract with Students With Aspiring Goals (SWAG) to host daily health, fitness and sports programming at Tanaya Middle School (with Rivera and others used as satellite sites). SWAG representatives described a model combining conditioning, sport-specific training and enrichment; district staff estimated the program could serve roughly 2,500–3,000 students across rotations, with buses used to bring elementary students to the hub site and SixCrickets used for attendance and wait-list management.
Finally, the board approved Twisters Volleyball contracts to provide pre-tryout instruction for incoming middle-school athletes and multi-summer volleyball instruction, expected to serve several hundred students. Twisters’ director described coaching depth and a plan to use SixCrickets for attendance and wait lists; trustees reiterated the district’s commitment to transportation and equitable recruitment.
All three contracts passed unanimously after trustees asked clarifying questions about transportation, billing thresholds, attendance tracking and equitable outreach.
