Above: The Southborough Extended Day Program is no longer in danger of losing its reason for its name this fall. (image from SEDP website)
An email from Superintendent Gregory Martineau notified Southborough public school parents that the extended day contract for this fall was awarded to SEDP. Yesterday message states:
The Public Schools of Southborough has concluded the procurement process to secure a before and after school program for the District and its families. The District is awarding the contract to Southborough Extended Day Program (SEDP). Families can expect a communication from SEDP in the next day or two that will outline the registration process. I appreciate families’ patience throughout the process.
The message doesn’t specify how long the contract is good for. An article by Community Advocate this summer stated that the school district had been conducting the RFP process every three years.
SEDP, a non-profit with parent board members, has been running the district’s program for 35 years. In mid-June, board members asked the public to help save the program after the school administration announced the before and after school program contract was being awarded to Kidsborough, a for-profit company. Their campaign was successful.
In late June, the administration responded to an outpouring of complaints, questions, and support for SEDP. Over 1,000 supporters signed an online petition. Martineau told the school community that their process was flawed:
I take ownership of not seeking input from families before drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP). It is important to hear input from the community, as the extended day program services that matter the most are those identified by the community that utilizes them.
The RFP process was rebooted, starting with collecting community feedback through a virtual meeting and online survey. In July, Martineau shared the survey results and targeted August 9th for a decision on this fall’s program.
