DPS struggles to hire staff, as after-school care waitlist tops 600 students
A year ago, the pandemic forced Durham Public Schools to shrink its after-school care program.
The pandemic prompted a decrease in staffing numbers and restricted the total number of attendees.
Some parents have told WRAL News the problem has worsened this year. Several parents said they submitted After School Care applications on May 9 -- the first day the application period opened for the 2022-23 school year – but are stuck on a waiting list.
The district states on its website that it notified families by June 17 via email whether their child is enrolled or put on a waiting list.
DPS said it has 686 students on the waitlist for the traditional and year-round after-school programs. It needs 46 staff members to cover the waiting list.
It left many parents scrambling to find replacement care for their children and to continue working.
On Tuesday, WRAL News spoke two parents whose children are on the DPS’ waiting list for after-school care. Suzanne Minton, who works each day until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., relies on after-school care for her younger child. She has a sixth grader at Rogers-Herr Middle School and a third grader at Pearsontown Elementary School.
“It’s just a mess, and it’s not just a mess for me,” Minton said. “It’s a mess for a ton of families.”
Minton said she’s never had a problem getting her daughter after-school care.
“The communication has been abysmal,” Minton said of DPS. “I don’t know what spot my kid is. I don’t know the likelihood she is going to get in.”
Sarah Bill is also a single mom, who has a second-grade student and a pre-Kindergarten student. Bill lives in Durham, but she works on a full-time basis in Raleigh.
“I don’t have a solution if there is not after school care,” Bill said. “I am either going to have to find a place to cut the budget to afford a more expensive after-care program, which would mean like, less groceries.
“There’s really no place to cut it.”
Bill said she registered both of her children on the first day DPS opened enrollment.
“About a month later, I received an email saying both of them were on a waitlist for the after-school program,” Bill said. “I thought at first it was a mistake.
“I thought, ‘This just can’t be’ because I registered them the very first day. My check was deposited,” she said.
DPS requires a $35 registration fee and one monthly fee (20-day cycle). On its website, the district states families have a choice of getting put on the waitlist or getting refunded any unused fees.
Bill considered sending her kids to the after-school care provided by the YMCA in downtown Durham, but she said it costs twice as much as the DPS program.
“That just doesn’t fit into a lot of people’s budgets,” Bill said.
What DPS is doing
DPS spokesperson Crystal Roberts said the district is working aggressively to hire more staff, so they can expand enrollment in the after-school programs.
"We are looking for retired teachers [and] retired staff," Roberts said. "We are looking for college students.
"We are looking for people who love children."
Roberts said there are 112 students on a year-round waitlist.
The district also stated it needs eight more staff members to reduce the waitlist to zero students. In an emailed statement to WRAL News, the district stated it is the largest licensed child care provider in Durham County. The district must also follow state guidelines for the services it provides, the email stated.
Roberts said a staff leader for the district's after-school program is $15.38 per hour. Anyone interested in applying for DPS' after-school care program can visit the district's website or call 919-560-3816.
Minton and Bill said they want more and improved communication from the school system, so they can know how to plan.
“It is a real crisis for [a] parent,” Bill said.
Bill also encouraged the district to get creative with solutions.
“That’s what really needs to happen because otherwise we’re going to have parents out of work,” Bill said.
DPS’ first day of classes for the traditional school year is Aug. 29. The district's year-round classes start on July 18.
