School District Extends Afterschool Program for TK-6 Grades
Students enrolled in transitional kindergarten (TK) through 6th grade will now be able to continue to attend a new afterschool and summer program following a unanimous decision by the School Board last week.
The Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELO-P) is a state-funded afterschool and summer program that the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) piloted last year for a few months and this past summer. By unanimous decision, the Board voted to extend its participation through next summer.
"We're very excited to announce that all of CVUSD's 11 elementary and middle school programs will have ELO-P offerings this year," CVUSD Superintendent, Parvin Ahmadi said.
The ELO-P provides a diverse curriculum, ranging from visual arts, Spanish, computer software coding, and theatre arts to chess, short film, and sports. CVUSD's ELO-P program also provides homework and schoolwork support to participating students. These opportunities for kids might not be available to all students without ELO-P funding.
The program is free of charge to low-income families, foster youth, and families experiencing housing insecurity. Many other families also participate and pay to participate in either the full or a portion of the program.
In the winter of 2021, CVUSD requested proposals for a partner to support our ELO-P program and ultimately selected PlayCV—a Castro Valley-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit—as its partner in this work, says Superintendent Ahmadi.
"We have been very intentional about organizing an ELO-P afterschool program that is effective, efficient, comprehensive, engaging, and fun," Superintendent Ahmadi said in a statement. "Having all providers flow through one entity allows for a more coordinated, consistent, aligned, and streamlined process and program for our students, staff, and families. This model has proven to be highly successful in multiple districts who have long-standing afterschool programs in place."
Many of the PlayCV staff are also CVUSD employees, Ahmadi added, noting that the District will ensure all staff are qualified, trained, and screened to CVUSD standards. Other PlayCV staff may be college students and community members. The staff-to-student ratio is required to be 10 to 1 for transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten ages. All other grades will see a 20 to 1 staff-to-student ratio.
The program includes at least 30 days during the summer break of 9 hours of expanded learning opportunities including skill building, youth voice and leadership, and healthy choices and behaviors.
ELO-P was partially made possible for CVUSD thanks to a $4 billion increase in state funding as part of California's 2022-23 budget. The program is required to be audited in the 2023-24 school year and undergo a review process every three years to make sure the program meets established goals.
Families who are interested in the program are encouraged to visit PlayCV (www.playcv.org/).