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Facing a $186,000 shortfall in the program, the Newark school district is considering whether to shut down child-care centers at its eight elementary schools.
The $1 million program, which cares for children before and after school and during the summer, is a "courtesy," not a legal mandate, that the district provides to the community, said Pat Hoke, director of elementary education.
Bill Stephens, the district's chief business official, told the school board Tuesday night that the district could save money by eliminating the program or shutting it down during the summer months.
After the district laid off employees in September, Eustice said, she offered to meet with officials to discuss additional cuts and layoffs to ensure that the child-care program would remain viable. The district has yet to meet with her, she said.
Other options, Stephens said, might include eliminating the program only at Graham and Schilling elementary schools -- both of which have 25 percent less enrollment than the district's six other sites, according to Stephens.
Other options might include eliminating one staff position after 5 p.m. at Graham and Schilling or laying off personnel at the district office.
None of the options, however, would save the district more than $15,000, Stephens said. "It's not worth the pain," he said.
- reprinted from The Argus