YMCA's before- and after-school programs safe for one year

Both the Frederick County Family YMCA and Bar-T bid to run the before- and after-school programs at the 10 elementary schools in the southeast portion of the county for the next three years.

School officials evaluated the YMCA as being better overall than Bar-T, but recommended that the school board award the bid to Bar-T because it offered a lower price for parents.

According to the bid documents posted on the Board of Education Web site, Bar-T offered $85.26 per week during the school year and $175 per week for the summer, compared to the YMCA's price of $99 per week during the school year and $175 per week for the summer.

Members of the YMCA pay slightly less, $76 per week during the school year and $150 for the summer. Families also pay a one-time fee of $100 to join the YMCA, and a monthly $72 membership fee.

But after listening to parents and YMCA staff and officials at a meeting of the school system's Facilities and Finance Committee Wednesday afternoon, the officials decided to change their recommendation.

The school system will reject both bids, and give the YMCA one more year to run the before- and after-school programs at schools such as Centerville, Urbana or Deer Crossing elementary.

Meanwhile, the school system will form a committee of staff and parents to create a new set of criteria for evaluating bids of child care providers.

In 12 months, the YMCA, Bar-T or other child care providers could bid on the programs again.

The decision was also in response to appeals from YMCA officials, who argued that the officials' evaluation process failed to take in consideration that the YMCA offers subsidies to low-income families; has a strong, 150-year presence in Frederick County; and has traditionally run child care programs in both low-income and affluent schools.

‘‘Every dollar that comes into the Y is reinvested into this community,” Daria Steinhardt, president of the Frederick County YMCA, told school officials Wednesday.

YMCA staff members and parents filled the committee meeting room on Wednesday. Parents who spoke to the committee said they would rather continue with YMCA's high-quality program than pay less to an out-of county provider.

Bidding on child care

Bar-T bid to run before- and after-school child care programs at 10 elementary schools in Frederick County, all of which have the YMCA as the sole child care provider: Ballenger Creek, Centerville, Deer Crossing, Kemptown, Oakdale, Orchard Grove, Tuscarora, Twin Ridge, Urbana and Whittier.