I-SS Board considering proposal to increase cost of Prime Time after-school program

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on Monday will consider a proposal to increase the cost of the district’s after-school care program.

If approved by the Board, the cost of Prime Time would increase by 4.36 percent to $286 per month, starting with the 2024-2025 school year. The proposal calls for price increases in each of the next five years.

The Board will meet at Career Academy and Technical School located 350 Old Murdock Road in Troutman, at 6 p.m.

I-SS Chief Finance Officer Adam Steele explained during the Committee of the Whole meeting that the increases are needed to sustain the program.  

In 2021, the minimum hourly wage for state employees was increased to $15 an hour, Steele said. At that time, Prime Time group leaders were earning $11 an hour and site coordinators were making a minimum of $13 an hour.

The district was required to increase their pay, which increased the operational costs of the program.

During that time, Prime Time was awarded a Stabilization Grant that totaled $3.2 million over the course of two years. One area the grant covered, he said, was the increase in salary costs. 

I-SS is proposing to increase tuition by
• 4.36% or $286/month for 2024-2025;
• 4.20% or $297/month for 2025-2026;
• 4.04% or $308/month for 2026-2027;
• 3.90% or $319/month for 2027-2028; and
• 3.76 % or $330/month for 2028-2029.

The same percentage rate increases would apply to part-time users of the program, which is currently $180 per month, Steele said.

In addition, the district plans to increase Summer Camp rates from $150 per week to $160 per week beginning in Summer 2025. Finally, the cost of attending Prim Time on teacher workdays would increase from $25 per day to $30 per day.

OTHER BUSINESS

Also, the board will vote on:
• Updating the camera system on 120 school buses at a cost of $417,213.26. The district was awarded a $400,000 grant and the remaining $17,213.26 will come from the capital funds budget.
• Approving End of Grade and End of Year retakes for 2023-2024 after the last day of school. The higher test score will count in the school’s proficiency grade.
• The 2024-2025 fiscal year local budget request to the County Commissioners for $62.1 million to cover 21.5 teacher positions and 21 nurse positions that will be moved back to the local budget that were previously being paid from federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds and other grants.