Weymouth before and after school programs are a lifeline. How they are changing

Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger
·1 min read

WEMOUTH − Parents of primary school students should be able to worry a little less about before and after school programs next fall. And, the programs will expand to the Abigail Adams School.

The town council has given school officials the authority to enter into a longer contract for before and after school programs for primary school students.

The 9-0 vote will allow the school committee to sign five-year contracts with providers of before and after school programs and for the software used for teacher evaluation and professional development. Schools are usually limited to three-year contracts.

Brian Smith, the school department's assistant superintendent for finance and operations, said the longer-term contracts will have a financial benefit. School officials plan to seek proposals for the contracts, award the contracts in March and put them into effect in September.

Smith said the before and after school programs have an enrollment of about 385 students and operate in all of the system's eight primary schools.

Council members wanted to make sure whoever gets the contract will be ready on the first day of school.

District 6 Town Councilor John Abbott said there were problems when the current provider of the service, Champions, took over and wasn't ready at the start of the school year.

"It really caused problems for some of our most vulnerable families," he said.

District 2 Town Councilor Maureen Kiely agreed.

"It is so important to have that available to people," she said.

The cost of the programs is paid by the parents.

The cost of the evaluation software is about $20,000 a year, Smith said.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Weymouth before and after school programs changing, expanding