School-Based B&A Program Likely to Continue

East Lansing’s before-and-after school program – run by the City in six East Lansing Public Schools – is likely to continue, following City staff’s recommendation to renew the City’s contract with the School District. City Council is expected to vote on the matter early next year.

At a discussion-only City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, East Lansing Director of Parks & Rec Tim McCaffrey conveyed staff recommendations to renew the East Lansing School Age Care Program for the next five years. The program is commonly known as “B&A” (for “before and after” school).

McCaffrey delivered a presentation on the program, which has been offered in some form for approximately thirty years now. The program is paid for and administered by the City of East Lansing and is currently offered at six East Lansing Public School (ELPS) sites, including five East Lansing elementary schools and MacDonald Middle School.

For the current school year, 412 students are enrolled in the School Age Care Program. While all students in the Program attend ELPS, 24% reside in Lansing and 6% in other communities. (The rest live in East Lansing.)

The B&A program aims to offer quality before-and after-school recreation opportunities for ELPS students while creating a friendly and caring environment to allow children to “explore and develop skills needed in everyday life.” According to McCaffrey’s presentation to Council, the program’s philosophy is that play develops children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.

McCaffrey explained that the program “generates more revenue than it does expenses,” with McCaffrey estimating City revenue being somewhere between $650,000 to $690,000 per year, while direct expenses are approximately $500,000 to $550,000 per year.

These expenses include around $52,000 for the leasing of ELPS space as well as staffing costs. The B&A program has two full-time staff members plus 58 part-time staff members – most of whom are Michigan State University students. They receive ongoing training in safety and child development.

During post-presentation discussion, Mayor Mark Meadows shared his experience with B&A as a single parent to his three children in East Lansing, and spoke to how much his family personally benefitted from the program.

Meadows explained how he moved to East Lansing so his children could attend East Lansing Public Schools and how he had to juggle daycare and school pick-ups and drop-offs. He said the B&A program gave him much more flexibility while also providing all three of his children beneficial learning experiences.

Meadows went on to share his recollection that of the 25 children in his son’s grade B&A program, 17 had single parents, so, he said, he has a “visceral relationship” with this program and its support for single parents. He then said the program should be kept going at all costs and that it is “an extraordinarily important program for single parents.”

Meadows expressed his support for the 5-year agreement and that he would like to continue supporting it for longer.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Council Member Aaron Stephens supported the importance of the program for child development, but expressed concern for parents who might be unable to afford the program. McCaffrey explained that such parents are worked with individually and that grants were available to support them.

Council Members Shanna Draheim and Erik Altmann also seemed to indicate support for the program in their brief questions. Council Member Ruth Beier did not join the meeting until after this presentation.

City staff had previously recommended only a one-year agreement for the Program given worry over the City budget, expiring at the end of June 2019, but now believes funding should be extended for the next five-year period.

According to McCaffrey, the Agreement Renewal will be brought to Council in January 2019 and the effective date of the agreement will be July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.

Comments on this matter can be sent to City Council at council@cityofeastlansing.com.