MAPLETON – While the township’s before-and-after-school program at Maryborough Public School is closing for the remainder of this school year, the door has been left open to relaunch the program next fall.
The program has been offered at Maryborough PS since the current school year began.
Before-school care was also added this fall to a successful after-school program that began at Drayton Heights Public School in the fall of 2021.
Programs at both schools are operated by the township’s recreation department, under an agreement with the Upper Grand District School Board, with fee subsidy support from the County of Wellington.
On Oct. 11, Mapleton recreation manager Amy Grose told council the program would have to close due to lack of participation.
At that time, Grose said staff had hoped to simply put the program on hold for the remainder of this year, as the agreement with the school board runs over several years, but the school board indicated that would not be an option.
However, at the Nov. 8 council meeting, Grose said the school board had relented.
“The Upper Grand District School Board has agreed to an amendment to put the program ‘on hold’ for this year,” stated Grose in a staff report.
“This gives us the opportunity to revisit the program for the 2023/2024 school year.”
She added, “The County of Wellington has also agreed to leave the Maryborough site on our Fee Subsidy Agreement to allow us the option to provide the program next fall.
“We can re-evaluate it next year, but if it there doesn’t seem to be a need, then it will be canceled permanently and the agreements will be cancelled with the board and with the county for that program.”
