SAUGUS — The School Committee voted to raise the fees the district charges for the Kids Come First after-school program housed at both the Belmonte STEAM Academy and the Veterans Early Learning Center by $3 in order to boost revenue for the program, which had been operating at a deficit.
The fee structure in place for Kids Come First set a $15 daily rate for morning or afternoon child care, and a $10 rate for siblings of students already enrolled in the program, according to Executive Director of Finance and Administration Pola Andrews. But as a result of contractual increases, she said the program was no longer financially viable at those rates.
“We tried to hold off as long as we could,” Andrews said, noting the district had reserves coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We didn’t want to burden families.”
While members of the Finance Subcommittee, where the issue was discussed, were hesitant to raise the fee, they noted that Kids Come First has seen few, if any, fee increases in the past decade.
Superintendent of Schools Michael Hashem said the $3 increase was chosen to get the program to a break-even point at the lowest possible additional cost to families.
Program Manager Katrina McNichol said the program runs for three and a half hours at the Belmonte and three hours and 15 minutes at the VELC.
School Committee Chairman Vincent Serino lauded the value Kids Come First provides.
“This is (like) going to McDonald’s and they throw in an extra burger by mistake,” he said.
Hashem said increasing the fee was “the price of doing business.” He added that hiking the fee was not a way for the district to make more money, but only done to keep the program running.
McNichol said the program offers services some parents may not otherwise be able to afford.
“We have… a lot of special educators that are… in the lead teacher role and they are helping a lot after school,” she said. “I think it’s something a lot of parents aren’t able to take on.”
As a way to potentially offset the impact of the fee increases, McNichol suggested the program provide snacks to students. The cost of doing so for every student each day would be less than $3,500, she said.
Serino endorsed the idea, though no vote was taken.
While a discussion of Kids Come First was not on the School Committee’s agenda, Serino brought it forward as an “emergency” at the committee’s meeting on Thursday.
“Looking at the value of the program tonight and what’s offered, it’s amazing value,” Committee member Ryan Fisher, who is the chair of the Finance Subcommittee, said. “We never want to raise prices on anything but I feel like this is a very modest increase to keep the program solvent.”
