Terms of Service

Please be advised that by enrolling in the Extended School Services (ESS) Program, you are confirming that you have read, understand, and agree to the following terms of service:

• There is an annual registration fee of $40 to register one child, and $60 to register two or more children. This fee is non-refundable and will be automatically processed upon approval of your contract (with the exception of homeless and foster youth).
• Tuition for fee paying families is based on a flat rate fee, not actual attendance, and is invoiced on a bi-weekly basis. Payment due dates are every other Monday and must be prepaid one week in advance. Fees are non-refundable and rates are subject to change. ESS reserves the right to deny service for non-payment.
• Tuition payments may not be left at the site or given to the ESS site staff. Only the ESS department at the La Mesa-Spring Valley district office may accept payments.
• Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer break programs are optional and require a separate registration.
• Students will not be allowed to begin ESS services until the registration process has been completed and payment has been received by the due date.
• There is a $10.00 late fee for payments not received by the invoice due date. Late fees are to be paid with the next scheduled payment.
• Continuous non-payment is cause for cancellation of ESS services. For accounts not paid by 4:30 pm on the Friday before the first day of the service week, children may not be admitted to ESS. For children that come to ESS and the account has not been paid, they may be taken to the school office and parents/guardians will be contacted to pick up the child. Unpaid balances could be transferred to an outside collection agency.
• When an account is sent to an outside collection agency, a $25.00 fee will be added to your account. The account must be cleared up with the collection agency and the ESS department before resuming ESS services.
• Checks or e-checks returned by the bank for any reason (i.e. non-sufficient funds, account closed, etc.) must be replaced immediately with a cash, credit card, or money order payment. A $25.00 returned check fee will be charged to the account.
• Picking up a child from ESS any time after 6:00 pm, according to the parent signature iPad, is considered a late pick-up and a charge will be assessed to the account. The late pick up fee will be due on the accounts next payment due date.
• ESS is a voluntary use program.  ESS is not a drop in service.  Account holders must provide a two week notice prior to any of the following:
  • Changing schedules (am to pm, pm to am and pm, etc.)
  • Vacation request (up to two weeks non-participation per school year is permitted at no charge)
  • Withdrawing child from the program

If a two week notice is not provided, accounts will be charged corresponding fees according to the accounts selected schedule.

• Students that are registered for ESS services but do not attend the program for two consecutive weeks, account holders will be sent a DROP NOTICE. The drop notice will inform the account holder that services will be terminated in two weeks if the student does not utilize the program before the indicated drop date.  Should there be extenuating circumstances (i.e., illness, medical concerns, family emergencies, etc.), account holders must notify ESS District Office personnel.
• For accounts receiving tuition assistance (i.e. ASES Grant Program, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program/ELOP), attendance requirements do apply and must be adhered to.  Attendance will be monitored and for accounts not meeting the attendance requirements as outlined in the Late Arrival and Early Release Policies may be dropped from the tuition assistance program and will be transferred to the fee based program.

ESS Homework Policies (regular school day):

• Homework rotation at ESS is 45-minutes in length, 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday, for 1st through 8th grade students.
• The homework rotation in ESS is not a one-on-one tutoring service, but rather a designated quiet time for students to focus on working towards homework completion.
• When a student states that they do not have homework, ESS staff will not go through their backpack to look for assigned homework.
• ESS staff will spot-check answers and provide assistance to students during the homework rotation.
• The responsibility of reviewing and correcting a student’s homework belongs to the parent/guardian.  ESS does not guarantee homework completion.
• If a student is not completing or attempting to complete their homework during ESS, please speak with the ESS site leadership.

Ages Accepted

• The ESS program is open during the school year to students who are enrolled in and attend the La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools EAK, and TK through eighth grade. Students from other school districts/areas may only attend during break times.

Late Pick-Up Policy

• If you are delayed past 6:00 pm, a late fee will be charged. Late Pick-Up Fee Schedule will be posted at your school site (also see below). This late pick-up fee will be used to help pay staff who must remain after their regular working hours to supervise your child. See the Parent Handbook for more information.

Sign In & Out Procedure

• Parents must sign their children in and out daily. Children may leave the program only with the persons specified as authorized pick-ups.  Expect staff to ask for proper identification until they become familiar with those authorized to pick up your child. Please update emergency contact information regularly so staff can always contact the appropriate persons immediately in case of an emergency.
• We require that parents walk their children in where staff are located. Please make sure that staff acknowledges your child’s presence before leaving the program site.

Illness & Medication

• If your child is not feeling well, please do not send him/her to ESS. Students who have been ill must be well, and fever free, for 24 hours before returning to ESS or school. If your child becomes ill or suspected to be contagious, you will be notified to pick him/her up promptly. If your child was sent home from school ill or did not attend school for the day, they may not attend ESS. It is very important that you keep us updated on changes in work, home, cell, and emergency phone numbers.ESS will administer medication (prescription or non-prescription) to students only if an “Authorization for Administration of Medication” form has been completed by a physician and parent. All medication must be in the original container.  

Student Cell Phone Policy

It is our responsibility at Extended School Services to abide by and enforce school rules during program time (school year and breaks).  Please review the rule on cell phones with your child. According to Education Code 48901.5, students may not use cell phones during instructional time.  This includes instructional time in Extended School Services before and after hours care.  This means that students are allowed to have cell phones on campus; however, the cell phones must never be visible or used on school grounds, unless an emergency situation occurs. Middle School age children may have designated  times during the day, especially during breaks, to use electronics for music and games.  Children must have a signed electronics permission slip on file with ESS.  Cell phones can be used during these times for music and games only.  No social media or web surfing.  

If a student violates the above rules, the consequences are as follows:

• 1st Violation:     Phone taken away and returned to student at the end of the day.
• 2nd Violation:    Phone taken away and returned to parent upon pick-up.
• 3rd Violation:    Phone taken away and returned to parent with a meeting scheduled.

Please speak with your Site Lead, and take note of the ESS site phone number for all communications with your child.  Thank you for your support.

Frequently Asked Questions