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Committee recommends two $5 weekly Latch Key tuition increases to sustain program
Summary
After a finance review of the Latch Key program, the committee voted to recommend a $5 weekly tuition increase in FY26 and a second $5 increase in FY28 to the full board, citing salary‑driven cost pressures and a projected shortfall without action. Staff will provide additional data on family assistance use and alternative models before the full board vote.
The committee recommended that the Columbus City School District board approve two $5 weekly tuition increases for the district’s Latch Key after‑school and before‑school program: one increase for fiscal year 2026 and a second for fiscal year 2028. Committee members voted on a motion to recommend the increase and recorded ‘Yes’ votes in the roll call; the recommendation will be forwarded to the full board with caveats for further analysis.
Dr. Baker, who led the program presentation, said Latch Key is self‑sustaining and that program tuition currently funds operations without general fund support. She provided operational counts: 18 sites, 19 teachers (one site requires two teachers), 18 instructional assistants, and 646 enrolled students. Dr. Baker said all sites are rated at the state’s gold level under Step Up To Quality and that staff are state‑licensed (teachers and paraprofessionals).
Current weekly tuition by tier was presented as $65 for morning care, $70 for afternoon care and $85 for both morning and afternoon; staff proposed raising each tier by $5 (to $70, $75 and $90) on an every‑other‑year schedule. Finance slides shown to the committee projected that without the proposed increase the program would move into a negative cash balance the following year; the $5 increase model was presented as keeping the cash balance positive through the near term (through 2029 in staff projections).
Board members asked whether the projections accounted for hiring and attrition costs; staff said projections did not include additional recruitment/hiring costs tied to attrition and that the principal driver of rising program cost was salaries. Members also asked how many families use state assistance (PFCC) for Latch Key; staff said the exact percentage was not known at the meeting but pledged to provide that information so the board can assess access implications. Committee members suggested developing alternative models (for example, annual $5 increases or fundraising/assistance mechanisms) and asked staff to model the family‑impact scenarios before the full board discussion.
A motion to recommend a $5 weekly increase in FY26 and an additional $5 in FY28 passed on a roll call. Transcripted votes show the following recorded names voting 'Yes' in order: Sad; Mr. Davis; Miss Engles; Miss Reyes; Mr. Maj; Miss Price; Miss Buril; Miss Up Church. The motion passed and staff will present alternative models and additional data at the full board meeting.
