Redlands Unified approves plan to strengthen after-school, summer enrichment

REDLANDS, Calif. — At its July 8 meeting, the Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education approved multiple items to enhance after-school and summer enrichment programs for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. 

Why it matters: The district’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) plan outlines RUSD’s vision and goals for providing enrichment for elementary-aged students beyond the classroom. The plan emphasizes the importance of academics, social-emotional wellness, physical activity, healthy habits and creative expression. 

Details: Three agenda items were passed relating to the ELOP, including the plan document itself. Here is a breakdown of each:

1. The ELOP plan was approved through 2028. The ELLOP is considered a “living document” that must be reviewed and revised every three years in order to reflect evolving student needs. Throughout the document there is a focus on needing to engage students through hands-on learning, including academic support from credentialed teachers.
   
   Some of the activities mentioned include coding, robotics, animation, digital storytelling, podcasting, creative writing, physical education and fine arts. The plan also includes attendance recovery programs, which provide students who miss class time a chance to stay on track. This is especially important as the district’s chronic absenteeism rate more than doubled since the pre-pandemic era, affecting one in five K-8 students. 
2. An agreement with Active Education to deliver structured activities was passed.  The organization will partner with eight elementary schools to deliver structured 10-11 week programming during the 2025-2026 school for an amount not to exceed $81,679.

Program activities include soccer, basketball, kickball and international sports such as Danish longball and non-stop cricket. Daily social-emotional learning will be embedded into the play with all activities grounded in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) best practices. 

3. A $1.9M contract to support after school staffing through the YMCA of the East Valley was approved. The agreement with the Redlands Educational Partnership will direct $1.94 million in state grant funding to the YMCA to provide experienced youth development staff to operate afterschool programs. This partnership aims to maximize funds from the After School Education and Safety grant to focus on direct services for students rather than administrative overhead. 

All ELOP’s offered by the district are free for families. All students attending a school operating a program are eligible to participate.