EASTSIDE ON THE SCHNEID?
Published in the June 13, 2026 issue.
On Tuesday night, the Eastside Student Center (ESC) made one more pitch to the Bishop Unified School District Board to maintain its after-school program for 5th and 6th graders.
Eastside’s budget for 2025-2026 was $392,000.
Eastside’s Executive Director Tyler McManus presented a proposal to offer a streamlined program next year for approximately $222,000.
She asked the BUSD Board for $194,000 in support while promising that ESC would fundraise the remaining $28,000.
The pared-down program would operate for fewer hours, offer fewer external activities, and have a staff/student ratio of 1:10.
This past year, that ratio was 1:7.
Overall, ESC’s staff budget would dwindle from $255,000 to approximately $126,000.
This past year, ESC served 40 students daily among 5th and 6th graders, with a total enrollment of 121 (obviously, different kids attend different days).
$392,000 divided by 121 = $3,239 per student.
Brittany Rossi, who runs the District’s Ram’s Club for TK-4th graders, then made her pitch for Ram’s Club to absorb 5th and 6th grade from ESC.
She said Ram’s Club can do 5th/6th in-house for between $120,000-$160,000, although she lists the line item as $194,000 in her draft budget.
She even got a little snarky in her presentation (see accompanying chart), using an AI analysis to suggest ESC ran a lesser program.
The Ram’s Club budget for TK-4 is approximately $1.16 million, and Ram’s Club counted 252 enrollees this past year.
That equates to $4,588 per student.
The biggest difference between ESC and Ram’s for 5th and 6th grade is that ESC would be off-campus and Ram’s on-campus.
And for a 5th/6th grader, that’s important.
As Ann Strohm said during public comment, “Physical safety is one thing, enrichment is another.” She urged the Board to keep the 5th/6th grade program off-campus.
Cam Smith agreed. “Being on campus reeks of detention.”
Jessica Ortiz also supported a “safe, inclusive space away from school … Eastside Student Center is amazing.”
But for a District which presented a budget in slight deficit on Tuesday, its Board members seem more inclined to check whatever represents the less-expensive box.
Board President Claudia Moya Tanner expressed concern that ESC wouldn’t be able to fundraise the promised $28,000, presenting financial risk.
On Wednesday, Eastside Student Center announced that an anonymous donor had promised $25,000 of the $28,000.
On Thursday, the BUSD Board approved its 2026-2027 budget.
It allocated $194,000 to the after school program for 5th and 6th graders.
Alas, the Board did not select a provider, so the ESC program for 5th and 6th grade remains in limbo.
Stay tuned.
