Changes in child care could pinch parents

Changes to Spokane Public Schools’ before- and after-school child care program could leave some parents in a pinch this fall.

Rates for the district’s Express program increased an average of 7 percent for the 2006-07 school year, or $100 a month in some cases. And some programs for kindergarten students may not be offered at all.

The district surveyed what other child care providers in Spokane are charging to determine the new rates, said Stacy Loudermilk, Express program manager.

A decline in student enrollment districtwide has also affected participation in child care programs, forcing the closure of some sites. According to preliminary budget figures, the district expects to have 522 fewer students enrolled next year.

“Some of our schools have not had the interest, especially in kindergarten,” Loudermilk said.

The Express child care program is operated by the school district but is self-sustaining, funded solely through the fees charged to parents. About 1,300 students, preschool age through sixth grade, will access the programs next year in 25 school buildings.

The unique program is one of only a handful of child care programs operated by public schools in the state, district officials said.

“It’s great because we feel like we are more ingrained in the school building,” said Jason Lesley, a program supervisor.

The most controversial changes to programs are those that were made to the kindergarten sessions, district officials said.

Previously, parents of kindergarten students could pay a smaller fee for accessing the child care during school hours only. Under new program fees adopted by the school board in May, parents of kindergartners would need to pay for either a morning or afternoon session that begins at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m., or both. Two less expensive sessions for morning and afternoon kindergarten students were cut, meaning parents will have to pay the full fee, which could total $704 per month.

“There was a lot of variance in our fee structure, and we wanted to simplify it this year,” Loudermilk said. “It was possible for someone to have three separate fees for care, and we are trying to do away with that.”

However, the three-hour sessions may remain after a number of concerned parents came forward.

New software purchased by the district this year indicated that there were very few students accessing Express for those shorter sessions, Loudermilk said. District officials believe those numbers may actually be higher.

A decision on whether to bring back those sessions will be made by July 15.

Three Express sites were also closed permanently at Cooper, Regal and Pratt elementary schools because of lack of participation. The summer Express program was also reduced from four sites to three this year, district officials said.

Lincoln Heights, however, will get new morning and afternoon sessions for all grades.

“We’ve had to make changes that we don’t like to make,” Lesley said. “It’s unfortunate that we have to continue or raise fees to cover costs. It’s kind of the mantra of the economy.”