Plum School Board selects Extended Day Services as new before and after school services provider

Plum School District parents will have a new daycare option starting next school year.

The school board voted 8-1 Tuesday to approve a three-year deal with Extended Day Services of Upper St. Clair to use district facilities for before and after school services.

Sampson Family YMCA has partnered with the district to help supply those services the past 30 years.

School Director Jim Rogers dissented.

“The Y’s been involved in community activities for decades,” he said. “I just would rather stay with the Y.”

Other school board members said they reviewed proposals from both organizations and felt EDS would provide the same, if not better, care for Plum children.

Board members Karin Aquaviva and Angela Anderson, who has three children in the district, declined to comment on the daycare change.

Both YMCA and EDS proposals were posted online in the April 2019 “related documents” section under the school board tab on the district’s website, pbsd.net.

YMCA Executive Director Kelli McIntyre gave a brief history of the YMCA prior to the vote, highlighted several activities and Plum partnerships and told families it would still be around to help residents regardless of the board’s decision.

“When 49 school and community-related groups asked the Y this year alone to contribute something to their causes the Y said, ‘Yes’ 49 times,” McIntyre said. “Community partnerships are vital for community success and are essential for building community strength. Partnerships represent the pinnacle of leadership and collaboration in our society. The Y will continue its community partnership and relationship building with this school district for as long as both of us are here, as it will with all of its scores of partners.”

Resident Valerie Bednez implored the board to keep the YMCA program because it may cost parents 4 percent to 35 percent more for services through EDS.

“Financially, this is going to be really difficult for me,” Bednez said. “I have three kids in the district. Next year, I will have two that are in the after school program. I don’t see how it makes sense for the board to move forward with a program that’s from outside of the community that’s not supporting our community.”

EDS Administrative Director Jennifer Roberts said the company became interested in Plum after the board reduced full-time kindergarten to part-time as part of the many changes in this school year’s budget.

She said her well-trained staff will provide excellent service to Plum families, and parents’ costs will depend on how many children they plan to enroll in its programs.

“We’ve been doing this for 27 years,” Roberts said. “We’re in seven school districts all over the Pittsburgh area. We invite any parent that has any questions to call us. We’ll be at kindergarten parent orientations so they can come and see us there. We’ll be at building walkthroughs. They can feel free to speak with us there and we’ll be happy to go through any questions or concerns they have.”

Parents can contact EDS at 412-221-1980 or go online to extendedday.com.