Mahomet-Seymour raises Kid’s Club rates to cover for time/staff

Mahomet-Seymour will raise the cost associated with Kid’s Club in the 2020-21 school year to accommodate full-day care on Mondays and care during the half-day when K-5 students are not attending in-person school.

“In doing so, we’ve tried really hard childcare costs to the parents,” Director of Instruction Nicole Rummel said.

The district also provided the board of education with Kids Club rates should the district move to a 5-day a week in-person option for schooling in October. 

Rates increased from $11 a day in 2019-20 for after school care to $12.50 per day in 2020-21 for after school on Tues. through Fri. care. Previously staff paid $10 per day and will be paying $11 per day this year. 

Full day on Monday will be $20 and $18 for staff with children in Kid’s Club. 

Mahomet-Seymour staff always gets to enroll their children in Kid’s Club first, then enrollment is opened to the general public. 

Rummel said that kids will be divided into groups of 30 during Phase 4 of Restore Illinois and will be in the music, gymnasium, cafeteria or library areas of Middletown Prairie and Lincoln Trail Elementary. 

While the increase pays for additional time, Rummel said the cost increase also covers staffing needs, including relying more on adults than students caregivers. 

Board member Meghan Hennesy asked if the increase was enough to cover the cost of the program. 

Rummel said that it will cover the costs, but “we probably will not make as much money this year but my goal is to keep the rates down for parents, this is an expense that a lot of parents were not expecting.”

Hennesy asked, “If we are still profitable, do we need to make the increase at all?

“Where does that money go? Why increase it if we’re already covering the costs of the program?”

Rummel said that the district budgets for the Kid’s Club money each year. Board member Max McComb added that with additional costs, he isn’t sure they will make money from Kid’s Club in the upcoming year.

Hennesy asked if the students grouped together would be able to maintain social distance.

“That’s why you have to limit the number of kids and the number of spaces that we use,” Rummel said. 

“(They’ll be) six feet as best as we can keeping in mind these are children ages 5 to 11. 

“Kids don’t stay in one space. They tend to move.”

Rummel said that kids will have time to play and time to complete their “Encore” (specials) time. 

“They’re going to have to go here for the half day then have time where they have to work.

“They have to do their remote work just like everybody else. So they’ll have the time for that. And then in the after school time they’ll have a time… they’re children so we’ll have outdoor time.”

Board member Colleen Schultz cited Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/10-22.18b:

105 ILCS 5/10-22.18b) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.18b)

    Sec. 10-22.18b. Before and after school programs. To develop and maintain before school and after school programs for students in kindergarten through the 6th grade. Such programs may include time for homework, physical exercise, afternoon nutritional snacks and educational offerings which are in addition to those offered during the regular school day. The chief administrator in each district shall be a certified teacher or a person who meets the requirements for supervising a day care center under the Child Care Act of 1969. Individual programs shall be coordinated by certified teachers or by persons who meet the requirements for supervising a day care center under the Child Care Act of 1969. Additional employees who are not so qualified may also be employed for such programs.

    The schedule of these programs may follow the work calendar of the local community rather than the regular school calendar. Parents or guardians of the participating students shall be responsible for providing transportation for the students to and from the programs. The school board may charge parents of participating students a fee, not to exceed the actual cost of such before and after school programs.

“That seems to indicate that we can’t make money on Kid’s Club,” Schultz said.

Superintendent Lindsey Hall said that Kid’s Club is not afterschool programming, but rather child care. 

“It’s the equivalent of a child going to a childcare provider,” Hall said. “A second grader going to sit her or childcare provider in the afternoon and doing that remote work there. We’re just providing the childcare and supervision.”

“I don’t understand the difference,” Schultz said. “When I read the law, and it defines it: ‘such programs may include time for homework, physical exercise, afternoon nutritional snacks and educational offerings which are in addition to those offered during the regular school day.’”

McComb said that typically Kid’s Club does not include school work, but it does provide the opportunity for them to do the remote work now because kids need a place to go.

District staff added that students would be doing school work independently while at Kid’s Club.

Hennesy, who was the only board member to vote against the measure, asked if the program could continue to run if the rates were not raised. 

McComb said with the extended time and the additional staff, the rates were not being raised proportionally.

2020-21 Kid’s Club Rates

Rates when students are attending school ½ days Tuesdays – Fridays
AM only (7:00-8:30) – $4 day; if you receive no other services. FREE with other same day services.
½ day only (8:30-12:00 or 11:00-2:45) – $11 a day/$40 week (T-F)
After school only (2:45-6:00) – $11 a day/$40 week (T-F) 

½ day and after school – $22 a day or $80 a week (T-F)
Staff ½ day and after school – $20 a day or $75 a week (T-F) 

Mondays all day – $20 a day
Staff Mondays all day $18 a day 

Max per student: $100 a week 
Staff max per student: $93 a week 

Rates when students are attending 5.5 hours a day 

AM only (7:00-8:30) – $4 a day ($3 for staff) 
After school only $12.50 a day/$50 week – Tuesday-Friday shortened days 
After school only $12.50 a day/$60 a week – Monday-Friday shortened days 
Staff $11 a day/$44 a week – Tuesday-Friday shortened days 
Staff $11 a day/$55 a week – Monday-Friday shortened days 

Mondays all day – $20 a day 
Staff Mondays all day $18 a day 

Max per student: $80 M-F on 5.5 hr. school days or $90 T-F on 5.5 hr. school days & full-day Monday Staff Max per student – $70 M-F on 5.5 hr. school days or $77 T-F on 5.5 hr. school days & full-day Monday