As we all know, there has been an economic crisis in California , the US , and the world.
The Adult School , like many schools and social programs, was hit by this. Funding was cut by 20% and the way the Adult School is funded was changed as well.
What is San Mateo Adult School doing about that?
Some classes were cut and we had a longer break this summer.
Now the Adult School has a new plan:
Charging a small registration fee to take classes will help keep the doors open to many classes.
What is a fee? A fee is small amount of money that you pay for a service.
How will that work?
Each program - ESL, Parent Ed, and the GED/ABE - will charge 30 dollars per semester.
If you pay 30 dollars for the ESL program, then you can take any class in the ESL program, including Distance Learning, for the whole semester. You can take as many classes as you want in the semester for the 30 dollar fee.
The only program that will be different is the Fifty Plus program. (For more information about the Fifty Plus program, visit the Fifty Plus section of the school website.)
How will paying the fee work?
If you are a new student on-site at the Adult School (789 E. Poplar), you can pay in the SMART Center (the big red building) when you register.
If you are a continuing student at the Adult School (789 E. Poplar), someone will come to your class and you can pay them.
If you take a class off-site (for example, in Foster City or San Bruno), someone from the Adult School will come at the beginning of the semester and collect the money from you. If you join the class later in the semester, you will pay the money directly to the teacher.
When will this start?
In January, at the start of the semester. The first day of classes is January 4, 2010.
Is there anything else I should know?
Yes! Keep your receipt! Your receipt shows that you paid. This is important.
You can read more about the new policy in this article from the San Francisco Examiner.
