Boys & Girls Club seeks to open location at McCoy Elementary
After identifying a need for services west of I-35 in Georgetown, organizers of the Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown are moving forward with plans to open a second club location at McCoy Elementary school on Williams Drive, pending approval of an agreement with Georgetown ISD at the district's March 26 board meeting.
Since the club opened at 210 W. 18th St. in 2006, its membership rolls have grown from serving 100 to more than 600 children, with an average daily attendance of 105–120 during the school year and 175–200 during the summer.
Board Chair Dusty Nelms said it has been the club's goal to serve all the children in Georgetown who could use its services.
"The demographics show that there are as many kids on the west side as the east side [of town] that need us," he said.
Demographics
The Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown operates weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the same property as the City of Georgetown's Stonehaven Apartments. Programs offered at the club focus on good character and citizenship, healthy lifestyles and academic success.
Branch Director Daniel Anstee said about half of the club's daily attendees come from the two schools within walking distance—Pickett and Carver elementary schools.
"So if you can imagine 60 kids are from two schools, how many other kids are out there within Georgetown that we could potentially serve?" he said.
Most of the 629 children on the membership rolls also attend Mitchell Elementary, Purl Elementary, Williams Elementary and Tippit Middle School. Out of the 3,193 students who attend those six schools, 68 percent are recognized as economically disadvantaged. Although membership is open to any child.
Bill Stanley, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown board, said the club estimates from member surveys that about 60 percent of members participate in the free or reduced lunch program at the school they attend.
While not all members come from low-income families, Anstee said the nonprofit organization does fill a niche for people who cannot afford other after-school or summer programs—yearly club membership dues are $10 per child.
During the summer, the club operates weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and draws children from nearby cities such as Hutto and Pflugerville where there are no Boys & Girls Clubs. Anstee said summertime attendance peaked at more than 200 children on some days in 2011.
"At any Boys and Girls Club, you'll find that in the summer their numbers just go through the roof, because all of a sudden you've got a whole different population that you are serving," he said.
If the organization could open a second location west of I-35, the club could potentially serve another seven schools with a total enrollment of 4,137. Anstee said the club would initially target serving Cooper and Frost elementary schools, as well as Forbes Middle School and potentially Benold Middle School.
Based on the club's current enrollment, the new club location could have about 700 members.
A west side campus
If the Georgetown ISD board of trustees approves an agreement at the March 26 school board meeting, Nelms said the McCoy Elementary campus would provide a temporary home for the club. Georgetown ISD is building a new McCoy campus on Bellaire Drive, which is scheduled to open for the new school year.
Bradley Domitrovich, director of school and community relations, said the district is still working out the details of the agreement with the club.
Nelms said the school district is considering providing the gymnasium area as well as some outdoor and classroom space to the club rent-free. The agreement would be on a year-to-year basis as the district explores other uses for the facility in the future.
"We will be in a position to make relationships with 700 additional kids plus their parents or guardians, and it will be an easier situation to make a transition to a permanent location," he said.
The club would be operating in time for the beginning of the 2012–13 school year.
Transportation is an issue the club will be considering with the potential McCoy campus. The Boys & Girls Club has a 14-passenger bus but will likely need to purchase a larger vehicle to give students access to the new club.
To duplicate its program at the new campus, Anstee said intial estimates show the club would also need an additional $100,000 annually and several new staff members to operate.
About 1 percent of the club's revenue for 2012 came from membership dues. Anstee said although the club receives some federal money through the national organization, the majority of its funds are raised in Georgetown—through grants given by local organizations or donations from individuals.
"Our ability to provide our services at $10 a child is wholly dependent on the community support that we get," Anstee said.
