Redlands school board delays YMCA contract vote, extends timeline for program evaluation

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands Unified School District Board of Education delayed a vote Tuesday on a proposed contract with the YMCA of the East Valley, directing staff to revise the agreement and return June 23 with a longer timeline for evaluating the organization's after school programs.

Why it matters: The decision marks the latest move by the district to reshape its after school services. 

The YMCA has long been one of Redlands Unified's primary providers. After initially considering consolidating services under a single provider, the board ultimately decided to award a three-year, $11.25 million contract to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Redlands-Riverside to provide after school services to seven schools. 

Rather than being phased out, however, the YMCA will now have an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of a revised program at four schools before trustees decide whether to extend the partnership for the full three-year term.

Details: The proposed agreement would provide $905,950 for the YMCA to operate after school programs at Cope Middle School, Kingsbury Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School and Moore Middle School. 

The total value of the agreement over three years would be $2.79 million and would be funded through the districts After School Education and Safety (ASES) and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP).

Superintendent Juan Cabral said administrators originally planned to consolidate after-school services under a single provider and believed the Boys & Girls Club model would better meet student needs.

That plan changed, however, after YMCA representatives asked for an opportunity to make their case to continue its afterschool programming.

"They made it very clear that the YMCA could do the same thing, so we said well maybe there's a chance if we did for a year and we can see that and then talk about how we move forward," Cabral said.

Board discussion: Board President Michele Rendler said she supports maintaining relationships with both organizations.

"I want to be clear that I appreciate both our providers so much and we have room for both," Rendler said. "My own family has benefited from services from both the organizations over the years. I'm pleased that our district has the capacity and opportunity to partner with both of these important community organizations."

The debate centered largely on how much time the YMCA should have to establish its program before being formally evaluated.

Under the proposal brought to the board Tuesday, the board would have reviewed the partnership on or before Dec. 17, after the first semester of implementation, with the possibility of expanding the agreement afterward. Several trustees argued that six months was not enough time to fairly judge a program that would require new staffing, programming and operational changes.

"You either believe in the programs or you don't," Board Vice President Patty Holohan  said while advocating for a full three-year agreement. "I support Mr. Cabral, I always have and I still do. I don't have a problem with that at all. The partnership that we have with the Y — we are a community, this is our family, we work together."

Board Member Ayala Quintero agreed that the original timeline did not give the YMCA enough time to succeed.

"I didn't think that going down to one provider was fair to the partnership we had," Quintero said. "I support the superintendent and his recommendation to try one year, however I do think in the interest of continuity for staff, especially in trying to revamp an entire program, and in doing that in one year, I don't know if that's necessarily fair to the YMCA."

Rendler ultimately suggested a one-year agreement with the opportunity to extend through the full three-year term, an approach that gained support from the board.

Speakers push for three-year contract for YMCA: Several YMCA board members and supporters urged trustees to approve a three-year agreement, arguing that the organization has operated after-school programs for Redlands Unified students for the past five years and should receive the same long-term commitment offered to the Boys & Girls Club.

Former YMCA board chair Janet Grenda told trustees the organization stepped in to operate the program during a previous district transition and has since built a partnership grounded in "consistency, quality, service and data-driven results."

"A three-year agreement would recognize that history and provide continuity for the families who rely on these programs," Grenda told trustees.

Other speakers raised concerns about transparency and fairness in the district's process for choosing after-school providers.

"When two providers are treated differently in the same process, it can create an appearance of unequal treatment, whether that's intended or not," said Carole Beswick, a a YMCA board member. "That appearance can really undermine confidence in fairness and transparency, and that's not good for any of us."

Moving forward: Trustees directed staff to revise the contract so the first formal evaluation would take place in March rather than December. District officials said periodic check-ins would still occur throughout the school year to monitor implementation and address concerns.

The revised agreement will return to the board June 23 for a final vote after staff incorporates the changes and continues discussions with YMCA representatives.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include additional context from public comments made during the board meeting. The story has also been updated to more accurately reflect Superintendent Juan Cabral's comments regarding the district's rationale for selecting the Boys & Girls Club.