Sausalito Marin City School District loses after-school contractor

The Sausalito Marin City School District is seeking a new after-school provider following the announcement that its contractor, Bridge the Gap, will not continue with the program next year.

Bridge the Gap, a Sausalito nonprofit that has run the after-school program for the last four years, will still provide small-group interventions at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy. The nonprofit also will continue its college success and academic enrichment programs at Tamalpais, Redwood, San Andreas and Tomales high schools, said Lisa Raffel, the executive director.

Raffel said the organization’s decision to discontinue the after-school service came “after much reflection and consideration.”

“Instead, we will return to our roots — focusing our resources on the heart of our mission: supporting student academic success,” she said.

Elizabeth Henry, director of instruction at the Sausalito Marin City School District, said it appreciates the work Bridge the Gap has done in the after-school program.

“We are grateful for our long partnership with Bridge the Gap and we thank them for their commitment to serving our students and families as our expanded learning provider,” Henry said. “Although they will be missed in after-school, we look forward to our continued partnership in supporting student achievement through their ongoing intervention program.”

The district’s contract with Bridge the Gap this year is for about $842,000.

The district has posted a request for proposals on its website for prospective contractors. The deadline to submit proposals is 5 p.m. Feb. 13.

“These are programs serving children ages 4 to 14, in grades TK through 8, during the 2026-27 school year,” the request for proposals states. The programs will be held at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy.

The after-school programs operate from about 3 to 6 p.m. on school days. Tutoring, homework help and recreational activities are included.

Three state grant programs through the California Department of Education are funding most of the after-school program costs, according to the district.

First priority for registration in the after-school program is for students who are homeless or in foster care or who are receiving free or reduced-cost meals. The next priority is middle school students.

Providers with questions on the request for proposals can contact Henry at ehenry@smcsd.org by 3 p.m. Jan. 26.

Bridge the Gap is gearing up its continuing services while scaling down the after-school staffing. Two full-time and 15 part-time staff members who are part of the after-school program will be laid off when the contract expires June 30, Raffel said. They will be offered severance packages, she said.

Three full-time intervention specialists will continue to work during the school day with students in small groups who need extra attention in literacy and math. Raffel said she hopes to add a fourth intervention specialist next year to focus on middle school math.

“By working directly in classrooms during the school day, we are able to provide more consistent, targeted support and have a stronger impact on student outcomes,” Raffel said. Intervention usually takes place three or four days per week for about 30 minutes per session, she said.

Bridge the Gap was founded in Marin City in 1995.