The Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education has initiated the planning for a District-operated before and after school care program to begin in August of 2019 Jan. 16, 2018. After receiving a total of 1,072 responses from parents of students within schools being considered for the care program in OPUSD, the board has moved on to assessing the financials.

The Board of Education granted permission to OPUSD staff to begin the exploration of a potential care program Oct. 17, 2017. The findings of a survey indicated there would be strong interest amongst parents of OPUSD students in a district-operated before and after school care program, leading the Board of Education to initiate research into the business model of a care program.

“In providing direction, the Board [of Education] cited the District’s desire to extend the learning experiences and methodologies present during the regular school day into an Extended Care Program, and to maintain complete leadership and management of the program going forward,” OPUSD Superintendent Tony Knight wrote to members of the Board of Education.

The implementation of a care program will cost no more than the current fee for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks Department. The way the daily fee for each student was calculated was through dividing the annual revenue from the RSRPD care service program by the number of students enrolled as well as the number of days per year.

“The proposed program is led by a Director of Extended Care, with a proposed salary on par with an OPUSD elementary school principal,” Assistant Superintendent Martin Klauss explained in a memorandum to the Board of Education. “The Director is supported by a Department Secretary, again based on an existing OPUSD classified position.”

According to an analysis and recommendation document written to members of the Board of Education by Klauss, the model for the new program will be based primarily off successful existing programs such as the establishments run by RSRPD, the Conejo Valley Unified School District and Pleasant Valley School District.

“Supporting program staff will include Instructional Assistants to assist special needs students, as well as OPUSD high school students employed to provide homework help at each site,” Klauss wrote to the Board of Education. “Additional personnel will be provided for technology support and custodial services.”

The new director of the program is current Brookside Elementary School principal Sara Ahl who will start focusing on the model program beginning March 1. After Ahl leaves Brookside at the end of the school year, former McKinna Elementary School principal will take her place.

“I hope you will all join me in congratulating Sara Ahl as she moves into this new adventure,” Knight wrote in an email to OPUSD staff. “The Board has high expectations for the new program as we aim to meet 100% of the childcare needs at each of the DK-8 schools, serving our families in a new progressive way emphasizing play and exploration.”

One of the key distinctions between this program and the current RSRPD managed one is the employment of students from Oak Park High School to tutor and help assist elementary and middle school student’s questions.

“I think it’s a good idea, since I think incentivizing help from OPHS students is definitely going to result in a lot of feedback from students here at the high school,” junior Neel Bhardwaj said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students that are interested in teaching while earning money.”

Outlined within the financial report contained within the Board documents, several of the funds going towards the program are associated with initial fees used for equipment and facilitation.

“Based off what the initial financials show for the program, I’m sure it will be a while for the profit from the new program to reach a level where that amount of funding can actually go back into the district,” senior Chris Hastings said. “But it looks as though this is a good opportunity for both the high school and middle school students”