We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and community members, are deeply concerned about the reduction in access to before and after school care for students at Spring Lake and Zamora Elementary Schools for the 2025–26 school year. The recent notice informing families of cuts to the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), also known as Expanding Minds, raises serious legal, ethical, and community concerns.

The ELOP program is a critical resource for working families. It provides a safe, enriching environment for students beyond regular school hours and enables parents and guardians to work full-time jobs with peace of mind. The limitation of access to this program—particularly in growing neighborhoods like Spring Lake—disproportionately harms families who may not qualify as “unduplicated” but still rely on this support to maintain economic stability.

Under California Education Code Section 46120, the district is legally obligated to offer and provide access to before and after school programs for all unduplicated pupils in grades TK–6, including English learners, foster youth, and students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. While WJUSD’s current funding rate requires the district to serve these students, nothing in the law prohibits the district from extending access to other students whose families also request it.

We call on the Woodland Joint Unified School District to honor both the legal mandate and the broader community need by taking the following actions:

1. Ensure that all unduplicated TK–6 students who request ELOP services are enrolled, as required by law.

2. Identify and implement funding solutions to expand program access to all students whose families request care, regardless of unduplicated status. This may include:

   - Reallocation of LCFF Supplemental or Concentration funds where allowed.

   - Collaboration with local government and community partners for additional funding.

   - Introduction of a sliding-scale fee model for non-unduplicated families.

   - Applications for external grants such as 21st Century Learning Centers.

3. Transparently publish program capacity, waitlist numbers, and unmet demand, and publicly report ELOP funding use by individual school site to facilitate community-supported solutions.

We urge the district to take immediate action to prevent further exclusion of students from essential care programs and to fulfill its commitment to equitable educational support.