As Jefferson City Public Schools explores changing school start times, local youth organizations said possible expansion of child care services would depend on what money and facility space is available.
JCPS presented three options for school start times Monday night for the coming 2019-20 school year to the district's Board of Education. In all three, secondary schools would start later than elementary schools.
Option A: All JCPS elementary schools would start at 7:40 a.m. and would be in session through 2:40 p.m. High schools would start at 8:35 a.m. and let students out of class at 3:35 p.m. Middle schools would start at 8:45 a.m. and let out at 3:45 p.m.
Option B: Elementary schools would be in session 7:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m.; high schools, 8:40 a.m.-3:40 p.m.; and middle schools, 8:50 a.m.-3:50 p.m.
Option C: Elementary schools would be in session 7:50 a.m.-2:50 p.m.; high schools, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.; and middle schools, 8:55 a.m.-3:55 p.m.
Southwest Early Childhood Center would be included at the same start time as the elementary schools, according to JCPS' response to a comment on a post on its Facebook page Monday night.
The results of district staff and families' and community members' votes on their preferred option of the three will be presented to the school board at its March 11 meeting, when the board will also make a decision on school start time changes.
JCPS' survey where people can cast their vote is available at surveymonkey.com/r/6V9VJRJ. Voting is open until 4 p.m. March 8.
The availability of child care for students after a change in school start and end times has been one of the main concerns of parents, and the leaders of two local youth organizations spoke in open forum at the beginning of Monday night's board meeting about what they're looking into doing.
Boys & Girls Club and Y-Care
"I know that a lot of people have been discussing the (availability) of affordable afterschool child care in our community, and I just want to report that this was a topic of conversation at the February board of directors meeting at the Boys & Girls Club," said Stephanie Johnson, Jefferson City Boys & Girls Club's executive director.
Johnson is also a candidate running for a seat on the JCPS school board in the April election.
"We spent a significant amount of time discussing how the Boys & Girls Club could come to the table and help address this potential need within our community. We are looking at the possibility of expanding the Boys & Girls Club to have a Boys & Girls Club West operation," Johnson said.
The club's main Railton Center facility on Lafayette Street is full, with a waiting list, "but, we think that it's possible, with funding, to be able to have Boys & Girls Club West, where we will serve children at no cost (who are) on free or reduced (price) lunch on the west side of town. But again, it's going to take our community coming together, because those things cost money," Johnson said.
She said Tuesday that the club is pursuing available grant options, such as through the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Johnson said Tuesday that they don't yet have a specific location in mind for a westside facility, "and that would be something we'd need to look at pretty quick."
"I don't know how the district would feel about us serving elementary kids at Thomas Jefferson," so "it may require for us to pursue an option with a church in the area" or at Capital Mall, but she said the club had not yet gone down any of those paths.
Johnson said the club at a westside facility would particularly want to serve low- to moderate-income families that have a child or children being watched afterschool by an older sibling or older babysitter, and who would need afterschool care if that older sibling or babysitter would be getting home an hour later than them because of a start time change.
Johnson said exactly how many children that could be served would depend on what the available facility space would allow, but a minimum goal would be 100 children, with a hope of 200.
She said those available spots for care would be in addition to all those already provided by the club.
The Boys & Girls Club and Jefferson City YMCA's Y-Care services are the main child care providers for JCPS families.
Brenda Hatfield, JCPS' director of quality improvement, said Monday night that Y-Care serves 468 students, and the Boys & Girls Club serves 390 students - 180 elementary and 60 secondary students at its main Lafayette Street location; and another 75 students each at Callaway Hills and Pioneer Trail elementary schools.
In addition to open spots at Callaway Hills and Pioneer Trail, Johnson said Monday there are also some openings at Lewis and Clark and Thomas Jefferson middle schools.
Jessica Kever, Y-Care's director of childcare services, said Tuesday that "since we operate out of the schools, we have more flexibility as far as space is concerned" when it comes to expansion, but their challenge would be finding appropriate staff with the correct state-mandated level of education.
Kever said the YMCA wouldn't want to make any decisions about possible expansion until they know for sure what JCPS' school start and end times will be.
Hatfield added Tuesday that based on the information Y-Care gave her earlier this month, Y-Care facilities have 79 openings for before and after school child care.
If the Boys & Girls Club gets funding for a western site, Johnson said, they wouldn't be notified about it until September or October. She added they could look to get gap funding to operate the facility between the start of school and when the grant money would arrive, but there is a risk there if they don't get the grant.
Council for Drug Free Youth
Johnson was not the only local youth organization leader who spoke before the school board meeting Monday.
Joy Sweeney, executive director of the Jefferson City Council for Drug Free Youth, said of her organization, "We are actually in the process of writing a grant that would provide maybe a collaborative space on the west side. (I) have mentioned it to several of my board members. We won't know until September if the grant is finalized."
Sweeney said Tuesday the grant would be a five-year federal grant.
"Within that five-year time period, we could continue to get sustainable funding throughout the community. It would certainly provide this opportunity for all youth, free of charge, to families, and that's what we're trying to do - make sure that they have a safe, healthy, drug-free environment where they can work, be nurtured and grow. It will enhance their educational experience until their parents can get through working," she said Monday.
She added, "We've got a location, and we've got some exciting plans for it. It's documented; we're getting there. Now we just need to find a way to finance it."
Sweeney said the CDFY has two or three spaces in mind, including a large empty space - they don't currently own or rent a space they would use. She declined to specify where CDFY was looking until something is finalized.
She added, "Our goal would be more (to serve) older kids, but I think the resource would be available for all ages."
Availability of other child care
JCPS' Hatfield surveyed 65 local child care providers, in light of the school district's proposed start time changes.
She said Boys & Girls Club costs $75 a month, or $750 per 10-month school year - that's if a family's child is not eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, in which case membership is free.
Y-Care costs $31.25 a week, or $1,250 a school year for YMCA members, and it's $38.75 a week, or $1,500 a school year for non-YMCA members.
Hatfield said the low price of private child care providers in the area was $20 a week, and the highest price was $52 a week - that's for providing morning and afternoon care. She added a majority of the providers said they are open until 5:30 or 6 p.m., and many use First Student bus services.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services provides a searchable listing of all licensed and license-exempt child care providers at webapp01.dhss.mo.gov/childcaresearch/searchengine.aspx. Results include providers' hours of operation, age range of children accepted and the facility's capacity.