Key Extended Hours Program

 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

These Policies and Procedures govern the operations of the Key Extended Hours Program (“KEHP”), which is operated by Key Extended Hours Program, LLC (the “KEHP LLC”), a District of Columbia limited liability company (EIN: 99-4059169) and tax-exempt subsidiary of the F.S. Key Parent Teacher Organization. KEHP provides supervised childcare for students at F.S. Key Elementary School (“Key School”) on school days before and after the regular school hours of 8:30am - 3:15pm. KEHP is managed by the KEHP Director, with assistance from teacher’s aides, members of the Key School faculty, and others who are employed by KEHP.

 

ELIGIBILITY

 

KEHP is only open to students currently enrolled at Key School and parents/caregivers that are paid members of the PTO.

 

Your child(ren) may not enroll in KEHP until each of the following payments are made in full:

  1. PTO Dues (either the suggested yearly amount per student(s) or a minimum of $10);
  2. the KEHP non-refundable Annual Registration Fee ($250 per student or a reduced amount for KEHP scholarship students). This money goes towards the building use, insurance and security costs that the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) requires for using the building outside of normal school hours. If you join KEHP in the last 3 months of the school year (April, May or June), the KEHP Annual Registration Fee will be pro rata.
  3. the Bulk Supplies Fee for each student (except for families where financial assistance has been requested in writing and approved by the KEHP Director); and
  4. the first month's KEHP tuition. (Subsequent tuition payments are due by the 10th of each month.)

Payment of PTO Dues and the Bulk Supplies Fees are separate from all KEHP payments, and as such, payments of PTO Dues and Bulk Supplies are not a substitute for paying the KEHP Annual Registration Fee or the KEHP Monthly Tuition. However, if you have an Account Credit in Membership Toolkit you may use that credit towards payment of your KEHP Registration or Monthly Tuition (if you are using Automatic Scheduled Payments, that amount will be deducted from the last of your 10 scheduled tuition payments).

 

The KEHP Director, in consultation with the KEHP LLC managers, has the sole authority to make decisions regarding a child's eligibility for the KEHP program, in accordance with the policies set out in this contract.

 

 WAITLIST

 

Due to the popularity of KEHP and the fact there are a limited number of spaces, there is a list of families waiting for spaces in KEHP (the “Waitlist”). Students are placed on the KEHP Waitlist in the order in which they apply. Typically, the Beforecare program (which is offered 5 days a week) does not have a waitlist, as there are enough spots for students that require care before school hours.

 

When a KEHP spot becomes available for the Aftercare program, which may be for one or more days, the KEHP Director offers the available day(s) in the following order:

  1. Families with younger siblings of students who are already in Aftercare are offered the same day(s) that the older sibling has;
  2. Current Aftercare families are offered those vacant days to add to their existing Aftercare days; and
  3. Any remaining Aftercare days are offered to the next student on the Waitlist.

To join the KEHP Waitlist:

  • The student must already be enrolled at Key School; and
  • The parent/caregiver must be a paid member of the PTO at the time they join the Waitlist.

To remain on the KEHP Waitlist:

  • The student must remain enrolled at Key School;
  • The parent/caregiver must annually confirm they wish to remain on the Waitlist via the KEHP Waitlist confirmation process; and
  • The parent/caregiver must remain a paid member of the PTO for the duration of the time spent on the Waitlist.

Please note, if you accept a spot in Beforecare, it does not increase your chances of being offered a spot in the Aftercare program.

 

Your child(ren) may lose their spot on the Waitlist for any of the following reasons:

  • by disenrolling from Key School,
  • for failing to pay Tuition or fees,
  • for failing to annually confirm your desire to remain on the Waitlist, or
  • as a result of disciplinary proceedings.

 

If your child(ren) loses their spot on the Waitlist, you must reapply.

 

Registration Procedures/ Required Paperwork 

 

To register for KEHP, parents/caregivers must complete the following forms:

  1. Either:
    1. KEHP FORM 1A - Returning Students & Registration Fee (2024-2025); OR
    2. KEHP FORM 1B - New Students Registration Fee (2024-2025)

AND

  1. Either:
    1. KEHP Form 2A - Automatic Scheduled Monthly Payments 2024-2025; OR
    2. KEHP FORM 2B - Manual Monthly Tuition Payments 2024-2025;

AND

  1. KEHP FORM 3 - Fees (for payment of one-off fees like Late Payment of Tuition, Late Pick-Up or Cancelled AutoPay)

 

 

Parents must also return a signed KEHP Contract and any other required forms distributed by the KEHP Director.

 

 

KEHP HOURS AND DISMISSAL 

 

Beforecare operates daily from 7:30 am – 8:30 am. The Aftercare program operates daily from 3:15 pm - 6:00 pm.

 

Parents/caregivers are required to sign their child(ren) out each day. To avoid a Late Fee, Parents/caregivers must pick up their child(ren) by 6:00 pm.

 

CALENDAR

 

KEHP follows DCPS’ calendar and closings. There is no Aftercare on half-days or on days of early closings due to weather. There is no Beforecare on days with delayed opening due to weather. In addition, Aftercare will be closed on the First Day of School, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Break, the day before Winter Break, and the Last Day of School. KEHP will also be closed for certain Key School events such as the Science Fair, and for all-staff meetings. Parents will be reminded of these and other scheduled closings at least two weeks in advance. There will be no tuition reduction or credit for closings.

 

BEFORE CARE DROP INS

 

Additional Beforecare on an as needed basis (“Drop Ins”) is available only to students currently enrolled in KEHP. Beforecare Drop Ins may be requested by contacting the KEHP Director. The Drop In fee is $20 per student.

 

STAFF

 

The KEHP LLC is a subsidiary of the Key Parent Teacher Organization. It is staffed by employees of the KEHP LLC, and members of the Key School faculty who are employed by the KEHP LLC during KEHP hours. The KEHP Director, Mrs. Ann Conway, and Assistant KEHP Director Ms. Nancy Reynaud are assisted by various Key School teachers and support staff, and other members of the community.

 

4th and 5th GRADE OPTIONAL SELF-DISMISSAL

 

Students in 4th or 5th Grade have the option to self-dismiss and walk home unaccompanied by an adult provided you have provided prior written permission to the KEHP Director at kehpdc@gmail.com and such permission includes the dates and times your child(ren) may self-dismiss. All students who self-dismiss must sign themselves out with the KEHP Director prior to self-dismissal.

 

ABSENCES

 

If your child is unable to attend their scheduled day, please notify the KEHP Director by no later than 3:00 pm, either by email at kehpdc@gmail.com or by phone or text at 202-878-0046. If after 3:00pm, please call or text 202-878-0046.

 

WITHDRAWAL FROM KEHP

 

You may withdraw your child(ren) from KEHP at any time by notifying the KEHP Director. No refunds will be made for tuition payments already received. 

 

WITHDRAWAL FROM KEY SCHOOL

 

If your child(ren) are withdrawn from Key School at any time during a school year, the child(ren) will automatically lose their KEHP spot, or their place on the Waitlist, regardless of whether the other KEHP eligibility requirements have been met.

 

KEHP TUITION PAYMENTS

 

Must be paid by the 10th of each month and late payment fees apply thereafter (please refer to the Late Fees section above for more information). There are a total of 10 payments for a school year. The first payment is due by September 10 and the last payment is due by June 10.

 

If you join KEHP after the school year has started the tuition is prorated accordingly. Also note, although the school year starts in August, tuition is not charged during August unless a student leaves the KEHP program without paying the September tuition.

 

The following online payment options are provided in Membership Toolkit:

  • Automatic scheduled monthly payments via Membership Toolkit (Autopay); OR
  • You can continue to log in each month and manually complete the Tuition Form online, in the same way as you may have done this year (Manual Payments).

Automatic Scheduled Monthly Payments (Autopay)

While the payment software has many helpful features it has some limitations and so may not operate like other scheduled payment systems you have set up with other organizations.

 

Before you decide if you want to set up scheduled monthly payments, please note the following:

  • Scheduled Payment Plans are calculated on the final yearly amount you owe if your child(ren) attends KEHP for the same number of days for the entire school year. That total figure is then evenly split over 10 payments and that amount becomes the monthly payment amount.
  • If you change your days at any stage during the school year (either adding more KEHP Aftercare days or reducing days) we will need to cancel your remaining Autopay scheduled payments and you will then need to start using the Manual Payment method (by logging in to Membership Toolkit and paying each month). A $25 Administrative Fee will be charged to cancel your AutoPay.
  • When you first submit the Autopay Form (Form 2A), you will be charged a set-up fee of $1 per row, which will appear in your Shopping Cart and be charged immediately after checkout. Those $1 amounts are deducted from your final month’s payment. You do also have the option to change that to a higher amount if you prefer to pay the entire year’s tuition all at once.
  • Once you have checked out your Shopping Cart the first scheduled monthly payment will begin on September 10, 2024 and each receipt you receive will show you the remaining monthly payments.
  • You can also make additional payments at any time throughout the year. Again, this will not change the amount of your monthly payments but will reduce the number of payments you need to make for the year.
  • If you need to review your upcoming scheduled payments click on "My Previous Orders & Receipts" and click on the "Orders" Tab. Then select the order number that has a Balance Due and you will be able to see your remaining payments.

To set up your scheduled payments, log into your Membership  Toolkit Account (https://keyschooldc.membershiptoolkit.com) and click on “My Accounts” tab, “My Forms/Paperwork” and complete KEHP Form 2A - Automatic Scheduled Monthly Payments 2024-2025. Unlike last year, you only need to complete this form once, so the form will disappear from your Membership Toolkit Account once you have submitted it. 

 

MANUAL TUITION PAYMENTS

 

If the number of days your child(ren) attend KEHP is likely to change, we strongly recommend that you continue manual payments by logging into Membership Toolkit and paying your tuition each month (due by the 10th day of the month).

 

The Form will remain in your MT Account for the entire School KEHP FORM 2B - Manual Monthly Tuition Payments 2024-2025.

 

CREDIT CARD

 

Irrespective of which payment method you choose, if you need to change the Credit Card you have set up in Membership Toolkit, select "My Accounts", "My Previous Orders & Receipts" and select the "Payment Method" Tab.

 

If you are using Autopay and your Credit Card is going to expire before all of the scheduled payments have been made, you will receive a system-generated email one month before the expiration date. The email invites you to log in to your Membership Toolkit Account and update your Credit Card information.

 

PAYMENT BY CHECK

 

For families who need to pay Tuition by check, please make the check payable to F.S. Key Elementary Parent - Teacher Organization and hand it to Mrs. Conway (due by the 10th day of the month).

 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

 

Financial Assistance is available on a sliding scale depending on various need-based factors. Please contact KEHP Director, Mrs. Ann Conway, if you require Financial Assistance. If you receive financial assistance, any misrepresentation of gross household income or subsidy status may result in dismissal from KEHP and/or retroactive charges for all underpaid tuition.

 

LATE FEES

 

Late Pick Up Fees – A late fee of $25 for EVERY 15 minutes (or fraction thereof) will be charged if a child is picked up after 6:00 pm. All Late Pick Up Fees must be paid within 48 hours of when they are incurred. Late Pick Up Fees must be made in cash or by check payable to Key Extended Hours Program, LLC. Repeated failures to pick up students on time may result in your suspension or removal from the KEHP program. Please arrange for “emergency pick-ups” with other parents/caregivers so that you have another option to avoid arriving after 6:00pm.

 

Late Tuition – Monthly Tuition is due by the 10th of each month. A $50 late tuition fee will apply if payment is not received in full by the 10th of the month, unless you have entered into a payment plan with the KEHP Director. All late tuition fees are due 7 days after the date the late fee was incurred.

 

FAILURE TO PAY

 

Failure to pay KEHP tuition or any of the late fees described above, for either two consecutive months or a total of three months throughout the school year, will result in the loss of your child(ren)’s spot in KEHP.

 

KEHP STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE POLICY

 

Student participation in KEHP will be subject to the KEHP Student Behavior and Discipline Policy. Students who have ongoing behavioral issues that create unsafe conditions or teachers are unable to effectively manage may result in a suspension or removal from KEHP.

Our Values

 

KEHP is committed to ensuring every student feels physically and emotionally safe, supported and engaged in our after-school community.

 

Every KEHP staff member cultivates a welcoming, positive, safe, orderly, and healthy environment that is student-centered, developmentally appropriate, and supports teaching, learning and positive mental health.

 

All staff at KEHP actively build positive community, fostering academic, behavioral, and social/emotional growth.

 

KEHP requests all students participate willingly in Beforecare and Aftercare, avoid causing disruption to others, and behave in a respectful manner to all.

Behavior Expectations and Disciplinary Approach

 

KEHP staff provide clear behavior expectations to students that are modeled from the Key School school-day expectations and in line with the values described above.  All students are expected to comply with behavioral expectations and Key School rules in a manner that takes into consideration the developmental age of the student. 

 

If a student is not meeting expectations, KEHP staff may modify their activity or activity choices, ask them to take a break from the activity or modify their schedule.  The KEHP Director and staff will refer to the discipline procedures and consequences that are detailed in Chapter 25 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) (http://dcps.dc.gov/page/attendance-and-behavior) to inform their implementation of behavior modification and disciplinary action.

 

In the event of unsafe behavior including willfully causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause bodily injury or emotional distress to another person, the student will be removed from the situation and the KEHP Director and the student’s parents/caregivers will receive a phone call. In cases of repeated and/or severe behavioral issues/unsafe behavior, parents/caregivers will be notified and may be required to meet with KEHP staff to develop a behavioral plan in order for the student to remain in the program.  Students who have ongoing behavioral issues that create unsafe conditions or teachers are unable to effectively manage may result in a suspension or removal from KEHP.

 

If it is warranted, the student’s return to KEHP may be limited until the student can regain the confidence of their classmates and KEHP staff for safe behavior. This may include limiting the time a student can attend the program, limiting the days or activities in which they can participate, or other restrictions that take the student’s behavior into consideration. These decisions will be made by the KEHP Director and staff. While parents/caregivers will be included in these discussions and informed of the plan, it is at the discretion of the KEHP Director to determine when and how a student can safely return.

 

In cases where another student is involved in or affected by the behavioral issue, that student’s parent/caregiver will be notified verbally or in writing by the KEHP Director.  The KEHP Director, staff, student and parent/caregiver will work together to ensure the student feels safe, including with follow-up consultations as necessary or requested.

 

In implementing this policy, KEHP staff and students' parents/caregivers will seek to protect the privacy of students, including with respect to any disciplinary consequences or services given.  Key School staff will be contacted to the extent necessary to ensure the health and safety of students.