NAHANT — The YMCA of Metro North submitted a proposal to the school district’s leadership on Tuesday with the hopes of partnering with Johnson Elementary School to run its after-school program.
In May, Superintendent of Schools Tony Pierantozzi informed the School Committee that the district’s previous partner, Island Roots Camp Group, had suddenly closed. Since then, the district had been in communication with the YMCA and For Kids Only Afterschool as potential replacements.
Johnson Principal Kevin Andrews revealed to the committee on Tuesday that For Kids Only decided not to submit a formal proposal. He cited the district’s size as a reason why the program decided not to move forward in the process.
“They really liked the facility, but we have a small facility and a small number of students, and they are in a number of different cities,” Andrews said.
According to Pierantozzi, the YMCA’s program is fully approved by the Early Childhood Division of the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program’s components include homework support, family engagement, physical activity and wellness, and social and emotional development.
“They are going to run a program very similar to the one we’ve had in place with Island Roots,” Pierantozzi said. “With the exception of they’re going to grow the program a little bit during school vacations to the convenience of the parents.”
Pierantozzi suggested the most crucial part of the YMCA’s proposal was that its tuition would be exactly the same as Island Roots’ was this past year. Therefore, it will cost $100 per day for the attending child to stay until 4:30 p.m., and $136 per day for the child to stay until 5:30 p.m. This equates to annual costs of $5,000 and $6,800, respectively.
The School Committee is expected to vote on an after-school program on July 9.
