San Diego Unified School District has a program called PrimeTime. It offers learning and enrichment to elementary and middle school students before and after school, while their parents are at work.
Why it matters
Tobie Pace with San Diego Unified says this program benefits students with a free meal, physical activities and enrichment programs like STEM and music. The program also helps parents.
"We have a lot of working parents. We have single parents, we have military families. We really aim to serve our homeless foster communities," Pace said. "It's providing that opportunity for children to be in a safe, engaging experience full nine hours a day. So that our parents and families can, work and give back to our community."
Closer look
PrimeTime is paid for with grants, so it’s free to families and it’s been very popular — so popular that in the past, all the spots filled up almost right away.
So for next fall, the district is changing to a lottery system which opens the morning of April 14. Pace said parents will get a text message and an e-mail with a link that they can click on starting at 8:00 a.m.
Pace emphasized that parents do not need to stress about being the first to submit their student’s application. It’s not first-come, first served. Applications can be submitted at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, or families can wait until the end of the application period on May 2, 9:59 p.m. The lottery will be held in July.
Pace said some specific student groups will be given priority in the lottery:
- Homeless/foster youth
- Low income
- English Learners
By the numbers
The PrimeTime Program serves 16,000 students throughout 144 sites.
