Fees

for students in the Fayette County After School

Program are expected to increase to $6.50 per day

from $5 beginning next school year, based on a

recommendation submitted to the Board of

Education by ASP director Julia Simpson.

With

an estimated cost per child daily of $6.48, she

said $6.50 will just cover the cost.

The

popularity of the elementary school program has

prompted Simpson to ask the Fayette County board

to limit the number of students in each school to

120, and accommodate enrollment requests of

three- to five-day attendees before other

students. "We want to insure a safer and

enriching environment for our students,"

Simpson told the board.

Occasional

after-school participants will be accepted for

one or two days only if they are participating in

ongoing school functions such as chorus.

Simpson

justified her request by explaining, "The

need for after-school care is rising faster than

we can fill positions. Limiting the number of

students will help us provide a safe

staff-to-student ratio for those attending. There

are currently 1,157 students enrolled in our

programs for three to five days per week. Giving

preference to these three- to five-day attendees

will help stabilize our staffing needs."

The

rate for children of Fayette County Board of

Education employees also will increase from $3.50

to $4.50 per day. Simpson said the increasing

number of employee children in ASP generates the

need for additional employees.

"The

projected revenue loss for 1999-2000 with 167

Board of Education employees attending is

$75,000. While we were able to absorb the loss

this year due to the shortage in ASP staff, the

money is needed to insure adequate staff in the

future," Simpson said.

ASP

is a self-supporting program that provides care

for Fayette County students at their schools from

dismissal time until 6 p.m. In addition to

providing a full range of monitored activities,

play time, snack and homework time, ASP offers

music classes, dance and karate in some

locations.

Simpson

is recommending that the classes be offered only

to three- to five-day ASP attendees.

"Advertising them county-wide causes

dramatic fluctuations in student attendance

creating staffing problems," Simpson

explained.

Other

proposals include a 25 cents per hour raise for

ASP group leaders and aides who have at least one

full school year of experience in the program.

These part-time employees have not had a raise

since 1996, according to Simpson. An additional

aide for each site with an average daily

attendance of more than 100 students also was

suggested.

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