Question: What fee increase would be required for full fee Out of School Time Program (OSTP) participants to cover the $200,000 funding request for part-time positions? (Mayor Wilson)
Response:
Using 2022-2023 school year participants as an estimate, there are 508 participants who paid the full $575. If there are the same number next year, the full price would need to be increased by $394 (70%) for a total of $969 for the school year. It is unknown if the price increase would impact the current enrollment numbers, or requests for financial assistance. Refer to Attachment 1 for RPCA’s current Financial Assistance policy.
The currently proposed increase for FY 2024 is from $575 to $595 and would be an additional $10,000 of revenue for OSTP based on the current enrollment. Should City Council include the 3% fee increase shown in the proposed FY 2024 budget, this fee would increase an additional $20 for a total of $989 for the school year.
RPCA reviewed Fairfax and Arlington County’s equivalent 2022-2023 after school programs, as well as Campagna (licensed); they all use a larger sliding scale to determine fees and charge participants monthly. To compare programs, the information below is based on mid-range household incomes in the fee categories just above Free or Reduce Lunch qualifications (from $63,001-$88,240).