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DPS outlines after-school enrollment, waitlists and non-licensed pilot to expand slots
Summary
Durham Public Schools told the joint meeting it operates 28 elementary before/after programs (capacity 1,608; current enrollment 1,608; 502 on waitlist), an Encore middle-school program at eight sites (capacity 375, enrollment 90), and will pilot a non-state-licensed after-school model at eight sites to increase capacity and reduce waitlists.
Dr. Danner, presenting for Durham Public Schools, reviewed the district's community education after-school programs and a capacity-expansion pilot.
DPS said it currently operates 28 elementary after-school sites with a total capacity of 1,608; staff reported current enrollment at those sites is 1,608 with 502 students on the waitlist. The middle-school Encore program operates at eight sites with capacity listed as 375 and current enrollment at roughly 90; DPS said there is no waitlist for the Encore program at present.
DPS officials clarified the three-year total of 4,904 students presented earlier is an annual enrollment count, not a count of unique children across years. "These students were not unique; these are continuous students who enroll every year in the program," DPS staff said.
To increase capacity and help reduce the waitlist, the district will pilot a non-state-licensed after-school model at eight elementary sites (named during the presentation). DPS said the pilot will allow the district to speed hiring and reduce the additional state fingerprinting and qualification timelines required for licensed programs. Tracy Super Edwards, director of community education, noted the county and district hiring processes still require background checks; the non-licensed pilot removes the extra state step that could add about two weeks to onboarding.
School leaders and board members asked whether DPS tracks demographic or neighborhood data for program participants. DPS said it currently does not track participant demographics or home neighborhoods by program but agreed to explore providing that data in follow-up materials. Officials also described a lottery system adopted two years ago to replace the prior first-come, first-served registration process to increase equitable access.
DPS said it will share more detailed enrollment and demographic information on request and will provide school-specific lists of partner organizations and YMCA participation where available.
