Q.C. community education expansion on hold

Mar 3, 2010 — East Valley Tribune

Hayley Ringle

Mar. 3, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The Queen Creek Unified School District's plans to expand its pilot community education program to include before- and after-school care, adult education and summer camps likely won't happen for the upcoming school year because the classes didn't bring in as much money as anticipated.

Although more than 500 students have participated in the after-school enrichment classes at the elementary schools since the start of the school year, Queen Creek's community education classes did not collect enough money to hire a community education director as planned.

The program brought in $16,785, but after paying for teacher salaries, supplies and snacks, and giving back money to the schools to buy such items as document cameras, $2,901 was left in the district account, according to a spreadsheet handed out to the school board.

Michelle Bailey, assistant superintendent of support services, picked up the responsibility of starting community education, along with Molly Jacobs, the director of the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center. The two say they have done as much as they can to make the program work in the district without a dedicated community education staff.

"We will continue to offer the service that we're doing now, but to expand the program to a total community education program, that's more difficult," Bailey said.

The cash-strapped district is trying to find the right approach to offering a variety of classes, such as cheer, chess and sports, while also trying to cash in on the lucrative community education programs other East Valley school districts are able to offer.

The Gilbert Unified School District, which has offered community education classes for 10 years, brings in more than $4.5 million annually from its programs, said Jack Blanchard, the district's community education director.

In the Higley Unified School District, 400 to 600 students participate in community education classes, and 35 employees run the program, including district office-based employees, site supervisors and activity leaders, said Sonya Williams, Higley's community education director.

Queen Creek's community education classes started in August at Queen Creek Middle School and then expanded to the four elementary schools. High school camps and clinics are also available.

The classes were successful at some schools but not as popular at others. The classes differed at each school depending on which teachers wanted to offer what, as well as the number of students who signed up to fill the class.

Ann Tichy's fifth-grade daughter, Olivia, took a cheer class and drama class, and "she loved it," said Tichy. The classes gave her daughter a chance to do something fun after school and hang out with her friends on a different level.

"It was good to broaden her skills and to learn something new," said Tichy, a Queen Creek High School teacher. "We were just thrilled that this was going to be available. We've enjoyed it."

Sixty students are currently enrolled in community education classes, Jacobs said. Queen Creek has about 5,430 students.

"We made money, even with the economy being down," she said. "At least we had kids ( taking the classes)."

In January, the district brought in outside vendors for chess and science classes, but they weren't as popular because they were more expensive than the district's classes, Bailey said.

Surrounding districts, such as Gilbert, Higley and Chandler Unified School District, also use outside vendors. The Mesa Unified School District plans to start vendor-run classes next school year.

The Queen Creek district could just offer enrichment classes for the fifth- and sixth-graders and let each elementary school offer its own classes. Offering before- and after-school care requires expensive licenses, and the Boys and Girls Club already offers that care for a good price at Desert Mountain Elementary School, Bailey said.

"It's more time-intensive to take care of all the requirements and to put together the (beforeand after-school) program," she said. "Although it's certainly something we're still working toward."

Tribune reporter Michelle Reese

contributed to this story.

CONTACT WRITER:

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SCIENCE LESSON: Desert Mountain Elementary School secondgrader Davis Jacobs struggles to open a jar that had the air pressure removed during Professor Z's Mad Science community education class at the Queen Creek school. RALPH FRESO, TRIBUNE

Newstex ID: KRTB-0132-42523174