PUSD Extended Student Services (ESS)

The Extended Student Services (ESS) Program extends Poway Unified School District's educational program into the hours before and after school, and during school vacations, for elementary school aged children. ESS provides a comprehensive program of developmentally appropriate curriculum and activities. ESS is fee based. Check out the fee schedule in the vertical menu on the right. Please contact the ESS Supervisor at your child's school for information or to enroll. See the ESS Websites by clicking on ESS Sites in the side menu.

ESS is a voluntary use program. All PUSD elementary schools have an Extended Student Services program on their campus. Our organization works diligently to accommodate and serve working families in need of before and after school care. A student's enrollment at an elementary school does not guarantee them ESS enrollment. As a growing organization, each ESS site may experience limitations that factor into the enrollment capacity and may prohibit the acceptance of additional students at any given time.

APPLICATION/LOTTERY RATING SYSTEM

Children will be accepted for enrollment based on prioritization assigned through the lottery. The lottery rankings will be based on the prioritization criteria detailed below, up to the capacity for each school's program. Once ESS has reached its capacity, children not accepted for enrollment will be automatically placed on a waitlist, in the same order of priority determined by the lottery and will be offered an opportunity to enroll as space becomes available throughout the school year.

 

Parents/guardians may choose to have their child(ren) attend either the before-school and/or after-school programs, if applicable.

 

Students currently enrolled in ESS can continue their enrollment until they withdraw or are promoted. New students applying to the program will be prioritized for enrollment based on the following focus criteria:

• Unduplicated Pupil (UPP): Foster, McKinney-Vento (Homeless), Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, or English Language Learner

• • PUSD Employee
  • Siblings of Enrolled Students
  • Families with one parent/guardian currently on military deployment (a copy of orders may be required upon request)
  • Single-parent household
  • Dual parent working family (both parents working at least 40 hours a week)
  • Was on the waitlist for the previous school year
  • Families requiring full-time, five-day-a-week care will be considered a higher need than those requesting part-time care

Please note: These are focus priorities and are all weighted differently in our application management system.

All homeless and foster youth will receive the highest priority for enrollment. Students that meet multiple criteria will be ranked higher in priority, accordingly.

 

How is my child eligible for the ESS Program?
Children must be enrolled during the regular school day at the school where you are applying for ESS.

Is there criteria for priority enrollment?
Under the California Department of Education (CDE) Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) grant requirements, students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be given priority registration:

• Unduplicated Pupil (UPP): Foster youth, McKinney-Vento (Homeless), Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, or English Language Learners
• PUSD Employee
• Siblings of enrolled students
• Families with one parent/guardian currently on military deployment (a copy of orders may be required upon request)
• Single-parent household
• Dual-parent working family (both parents working at least 40 hours a week)
• Previously on the waitlist for the last school year

What is the online application process?
The application will be available online starting April 22, 2025. You will need your PUSD-issued ParentVue login to complete the application. If you need help with your username or password, assistance is available here: Poway Unified School District (PUSD). 

Does submitting an application guarantee participation in ESS?
It is anticipated that the demand for ESS services may exceed the program capacity at most schools. Therefore, it is critical that applications are completed and submitted within the initial application timeline. Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed for the initial enrollment period. Children will be accepted for participation based on CDE ELOP grant requirements, up to the capacity of each school's program. Once capacity is reached, children not accepted will be placed on a waitlist, in order of priority, and will be accepted as space becomes available.

What is the initial application timeline?
Applications will be available online starting Tuesday, April 22, 2025, and must be completed and submitted by Friday, June 6, 2025, at 9:59 PM PST to be included in the initial review and enrollment process.

When and how will I be notified of my child’s application status?
Parents/guardians who complete and submit the application within the initial timeline will be notified of their application status via email by Friday, June 13, 2025. The email will inform families whether their child(ren) has been:

• Accepted to participate
• Placed on a waitlist
• Deemed ineligible for the before and/or after-school program

If my child is accepted, what do I need to do next?
Once notified of acceptance, a registration email will be sent to the email address used during the application process. Registration must be completed by the specified deadline to secure your child’s seat in ESS.

What happens if I submit an application after June 6, 2025?
Applications are accepted throughout the school year. Applications submitted after June 6, 2025, will be reviewed in priority order as space becomes available.

Is there additional information to help with the application or enrollment process?
For more information regarding enrollment, please contact the ESS enrollment team at [email protected].

What if I can’t remember my username and password?
If you need help with your username or password, assistance is available here: Poway Unified School District (PUSD).

What if one sibling gets a seat and the other does not?
While every effort is made to keep siblings together in the program, this may not always be possible due to staffing levels and available spots for each grade level.

What if I have an IDT pending?
Seats in ESS are determined by school of enrollment.  If you receive a seat at a school and you have and IDT pending, the seat will not transfer to the other school.

How do I qualify for free ESS?
You must complete the Food and Nutrition application. If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, you also qualify for free ESS. You will need to submit your qualification letter to our department after enrollment. https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

What if I get a seat but can’t log in to accept it?
You can try resetting your password or call 858-521-2845 for assistance with accepting the seat.

What happens if I miss the deadline to accept the seat or enroll in Procare?
The seat will be offered to the next person on the waitlist based on the priority criteria.

How much does ESS cost?
Here is the ESS fee schedule: 2024–2025 ESS Fee Schedule.

If I am enrolled in ESS and transfer to a different school, does my spot in ESS transfer to the new school?

No, your spot does not transfer. You will need to join the waitlist for ESS at your new school.