District reports ELOP funding shortfall and summer program gains; summer enrollment up 17%

Petaluma City Schools staff told trustees the district’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) allocation dropped by roughly $613,000 compared with the prior year, forcing the district to cap enrollments at some sites and scramble for contracts. The district has applied for ACES funding (about $300,000 earmarked for McKinley and McDowell) and is pursuing a new round of ACES funding for multiple elementary sites (applications totaling about $800,000), while also noting a state per‑student ELOP allocation increase from $1,280 to $1,575 per student that the district expects will help cover contracts.

Jessica (expanded learning coordinator) and Steven Byers (program director for summer programming) presented summer 2025 results: the five‑week program at McDowell served 247 students — a 17% increase from the prior year’s 208 — with higher average daily attendance and a 14% reduction in no‑shows. The program prioritized early literacy and used STAR reading data to identify priority students. Survey results showed high satisfaction: 96% of respondents said they would like to enroll next summer and 93% would recommend the program.

The district compared STAR reading scaled scores for unduplicated students who attended summer versus those who did not (60 attendees vs. 248 non‑attendees in the analysis) and reported larger gains and higher student growth percentiles for attendees; district staff said attendees showed approximately five months of grade‑equivalent growth versus 0.1 months for non‑attendees in the observed window. Staff recommended earlier enrollment windows and outreach to improve attendance and participation across sites if funding allows restoring an academic enrichment model similar to 2024.

Trustees thanked the Boys & Girls Club for partnering on programming and encouraged staff to pursue grant funding and earlier outreach to increase summer participation and minimize vacations that reduce average daily attendance.