The Juneau School District is returning $1.05 million earmarked for child care back to the city.
The school board unanimously approved returning the funds following multiple delays since November as board members mulled over the future of after-school child care in the district. The decision was made during a regular board meeting Tuesday night.
Board member Melissa Cullum said she supports returning the money and hopes to work with the city when the district has a clear plan for after-school child care.
“As much as I would like to hold on to that in hopes that we have a plan, I don’t feel comfortable continuing to table it or hold on to it, hoping that we have a plan for after-school care,” she said. “And I would rather give it back and then preserve that relationship.”
The district ended its program, RALLY, last summer, citing staffing challenges. Private provider Auke Lake Preschool stepped in this school year to offer after-school child care at three schools. As of Wednesday, the provider is still in the process of getting licensed through the state, according to Derik Swanson, one of the owners.
Board member Jenny Thomas said families have reached out to her with concerns about the current RALLY program run by Auke Lake Preschool. She said the board should step in to provide support.
“Whether we give the money back or not, we need to put our foot in the door to try to help make the program a little smoother,” she said.
During a phone call Wednesday, Thomas declined to elaborate on what those concerns are.
The decision comes as YMCA Alaska is looking into the feasibility of running programs in the district. Nate Root, the organization’s president and CEO, said in an interview Wednesday they are working with local organizations in Juneau to survey parents. He said YMCA Alaska wants to see if it’s sustainable to offer after-school child care in Juneau.
“We understand the need for it right now, but for us to be able to expand our services to Juneau – which we’re very interested in doing and helping the community – we need to know that there’s a long term stability to that initial investment,” he said.
Root said if they decide to run a program, they will also need to look for staff and opportunities to raise startup funds.
