After‑school RFQ: fewer applicants, eleven partners selected and limited summer funding

Speaker 4 and Lori Beth Rodriguez presented an overview of the district’s RFQ process for after‑school providers, explaining the district uses an OpenGov request‑for‑qualifications (RFQ) process to vet contractor qualifications and align partners with school needs. Staff said submissions fell from roughly 54 in 2024–25 to about 37 for 2025–26 and that the district currently expects to contract with about 11 partners, constrained primarily by funding availability.

Staff listed priority sites (largely Title I schools) and described funding sources: Title I after‑school allocations, a state extended school hours grant (~$300,000) that covers staff contracts and some summer programming, 21st Century Competitive grants (three sites at approximately $100,000 each), and small remaining balances used to cover emergent school needs. Assessment and program quality are evaluated using nationally recognized tools (APAS/APTO), student outcome surveys and reflection processes.

Committee members asked how often new organizations can be added and whether summer programming follows the same selection process. Staff said they are engaging smaller or start‑up organizations with limited pilot contracts to test capacity and build relationships. On summer programming, staff said funding is limited (~$300,000 primarily for K–3 mandatory summer school) and the district has slimmed external contracts down, relying more on internal staff for some summer offerings since ESSER funds expired.

What’s next: Staff will continue outreach to potential partners, test small contracts with new providers and coordinate with the Office of Teaching & Learning for summer programming decisions.