Cuts Considered in Child Care

Students at three Conejo Valley elementary schools could lose their child-care programs, while pupils at four other schools would have to walk after school to another site to participate, under a plan being considered by school officials.

Due to projected low enrollment in some child-care programs this fall, Conejo Valley Unified School District officials are recommending the program be canceled at Conejo, Cypress and Maple elementary schools.

It is also suggested the program be cut at Aspen, Glenwood, Manzanita and Park Oaks elementary schools. However, students at those schools would have the option of walking after school under supervision to a nearby school that will offer the program.

Officials estimate that 85 of the 620 students enrolled in the program would drop out if the changes are approved.

District officials made the recommendations after recently considering registration figures, according to a board report by Barbara Ryan, director of elementary education.

Programs that didn’t have the equivalent of 36 full-time students were recommended to be canceled or merged with other programs. Under the proposal, children at 15 of the district’s 18 schools would have access to a child-care program.

Under the plan, students at Aspen Elementary would walk to Madrona Elementary, students at Glenwood Elementary would walk to Acacia, students at Manzanita Elementary would walk to Walnut Elementary and students at Park Oaks Elementary would walk to Ladera Elementary.

The school board will consider the issue at a 7:30 p.m. meeting Thursday in Conference Room A at district headquarters, 1400 E. Janss Road, in Thousand Oaks.

In March, the school board approved a new fee structure and set minimum enrollment requirements under a plan proposed by a committee of parents and staff members.

Child care, provided from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. when pupils are not in class, runs $300 a month for kindergarten students and $200 a month for children in grades one through six. The kindergarten enrichment program, from 11:45 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., runs $100 a month. A 10% discount will be extended for the second and third child in a family.