Families Concerned About Proposed Extended Day Program Changes

[Author's note: A previous version of this article stated that the Westwood School Committee had voted on outsourcing this change; however, it has only been presented to the School Committee by district administration].

At their March 11, 2021 meeting, the Westwood School Committee had a presentation by district administration with a recommendation for the Westwood Extended Day Program to be run by an outside provider when the Extended Day program reopens for the 2021-2020 school year. A public discussion group had more than two hundred people join to discuss their thoughts and concerns about this plan.

“Several parents expressed their concerns and frustration that there has been a lack of transparency from the Westwood school administration. Prior to the March 11th school committee meeting, there was no mention to the community about outsourcing Extended Day. The topic of outsourcing was mentioned very briefly and at the tail end of a very long school committee meeting focused on COVID data."

"The fact that it was only briefly discussed when it is such an important topic that impacts so many families in Westwood didn’t sit well for me and many others in the community. As a follow up to the school committee meeting on March 11th, a survey will be going out to Westwood families next week to gather additional feedback on the Extended Day program that will help inform their decision making,” says Tracie Charland, whose eight-year-old daughter attends the Extended Day program at Hanlon and goes to school at Downey School.

Extended Day staff were laid off in August of 2020. Program and site coordinators were offered alternate positions. The emotional stress of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was cited as a reason families are concerned about this change, as they report having familiar faces at Extended Day being important to their children when they return to Extended Day in the fall. Additionally, some group members report feeling that their support of school administration during the past year of the pandemic was not reciprocated by the sudden announcement of this proposed change.

The Extended Day program’s affordability for families is something people report being worried about changing under an outside vendor, although the district recommendation lists “affordable rates for families and reduced tuition for low-income household[s]” as an assurance which would be sought from an outside vendor in its proposal. Support and inclusion of children who have disabilities is something families mention as being a strength of the Extended Day program in the past.

“My husband and I both work full time. Like so many other families, we are extremely grateful for Extended Day. It’s a very comforting feeling knowing that our daughter is with teachers and staff we know and trust,” comments Charland. Her statement echoes other families’ fondness for the teachers, staff, and programming that existed under the Extended Day program. The presentation includes “[i]nterviewing of former Extended Day staff” and “[s]trong, collaborative approach in working with school administration” among the things it seeks from a potential outsider vendor.

A parent survey will be sent out by the School Committee in March 2021, and a selection committee will be formed after that.