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Board renews Boys and Girls Club contract after debate over program quality, gym access and homework supports
Summary
The Tehachapi Unified board approved renewal of the Boys and Girls Club contract (ELOP‑funded) after a lengthy presentation and public debate about daily attendance, homework supervision, use of the gym, and whether district staff could provide similar services; staff proposed adding credentialed teacher homework support two days per week.
Representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Kern County presented to the Tehachapi Unified School District board about the after‑school program that serves middle‑school students. Barry Hill, executive director, summarized a year‑end member survey (44 student respondents locally) showing high levels of perceived safety and staff support; “Over 90% of the students reported that they feel safe at the club,” Hill said.
District staff and board members probed program details: enrollment is about 80 students with roughly 30 attending on a typical day; the program is paid through the district’s ELOP grant so it is free to families. Trustees and public commenters questioned whether the Boys and Girls Club provided adequate homework support and whether the gym space is being used efficiently when only small numbers of students attend. One trustee calculated program costs per attendee and expressed skepticism about value for money.
Staff responded with a set of proposed improvements to continue the contract: increase homework support by having a credentialed JMS teacher present at least two days per week to verify assignments in ARIES; consider tutoring options; and prioritize outreach to laid‑off employees if staffing openings arise. The district also noted facility‑use requirements tied to ELOP funding — the gym upgrades were funded based on program use, and that constrains certain scheduling flexibility.
TAT and parent speakers warned against shifting operational duties (like printing ARIES reports or daily verification) onto certificated teachers without negotiated workload changes. Miss Bowman urged caution, noting creating an in‑house program would take extensive planning and that teachers are already stretched.
After extended discussion, Vice President Kelly moved to approve the renewal of the agreement between Boys and Girls Club of Kern County and Tehachapi Unified; Clerk Wood seconded and the board approved the renewal by voice vote. District staff said they will implement the agreed improvements (credentialed teacher homework support and further monitoring) while preserving the program’s ELOP funding structure.
Next steps: staff will coordinate scheduling for teacher support and report back on implementation progress and any further changes recommended by TAT and site staff.
