Board hears ELOP update as district readies summer program serving thousands

Tammy Bear, director of the district's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and Daniel Miranda, ELOP manager, gave the Corona-Norco Unified School District board a detailed update on program growth, staffing and summer plans.

Bear said ELOP has moved from an early "surviving" phase to "thriving," adding multiple new sites and partnerships and reporting current enrollment near 1,000 students in newly created ELOP sites (presenters described the figure as "almost at 1,000"). She said the program uses two primary funding sources—the ELOP entitlement and an ASES (After School Education and Safety) grant—and cited staff-to-student ratios set at 10:1 for TK/K and 20:1 for grades 1–6.

The presentation also flagged a large projected interest in summer programming: staff reported about 5,000 guaranteed spots, with a waiting list that could push participation higher. Miranda said families who registered online by April 15 were guaranteed a place in Summer Boost and that the program uses waiting lists and roster changes to fill vacancies in advance.

Trustees pressed on staffing and the potential to expand ELOP to middle and high school students. Bear explained state ELOP guidance requires districts to serve TK–6 before secondary expansion, but she and Miranda said they were evaluating a small pilot at Auburn Del to test secondary programming models next year.

Why this matters: Expanded learning affects large numbers of elementary families and links to child care and workforce priorities for the district. Directors also said ELOP is experimenting with certificated enrichment, partnerships with community-based organizations, and collaborations with high school clubs as potential providers.

Board follow-up: Trustees asked staff to finalize plans for year-round site coverage, conclude pending negotiations with the classified union (CSEA) affecting staffing, and report back with staffing updates and summer-boost enrollment outcomes.