Ask five districts what an intersession day costs and you will get five answers, usually because they are counting different things. One includes meals. One leaves out the site lead. One divides by registered students and another by those who showed up.
Here is a worksheet that makes the number comparable.
This post is for you if
- You are budgeting break weeks or summer inside your ELO-P allocation
- You need to compare in-house delivery to a vendor quote
- Your CBO has asked what a day actually costs per student
01 / What drives the cost
Staffing is usually the largest line, and the ratios set the minimum. Education Code §46120(b)(5)(D) applies §8483.4, with no more than 10 pupils per staff member for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, and §8483.4 sets 20 to 1 otherwise. Since each nonschool day needs at least nine hours of in-person program under §46120(b)(4)(B)(i), staff are paid for a full day and then some.
02 / The worksheet
The figures below are made up to show the math. They are not benchmarks and they are not Kodely’s pricing. Replace every number with your own. The example is one site, five days, with 20 TK and K students and 80 students in grades 1 to 6.
| Line | How to calculate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TK/K staff | 20 students at 10:1 = 2 staff | 2 |
| Grades 1-6 staff | 80 students at 20:1 = 4 staff | 4 |
| Site lead | Not counted in the ratio | 1 |
| Total staff | 7 | |
| Paid hours per day | 9 program hours + 1 setup and close | 10 |
| Loaded hourly cost | Wages plus payroll costs | $30 |
| Staffing, 5 days | 7 x 10 x 5 x $30 | $10,500 |
| Materials | $8 per student per day x 100 x 5 | $4,000 |
| Coordination | Planning, records, family communication | $1,000 |
| Program total | $15,500 | |
| Cost per student day | $15,500 / 500 student days | $31.00 |
03 / Costs that get left out
Add these lines if they apply, or state clearly that they are excluded:
- Custodial overtime and facility costs
- Breakfast, lunch and snacks not covered elsewhere
- Transportation to hub sites
- Substitute coverage
- Clearance and onboarding costs for seasonal staff
- Family outreach and translation
04 / Budget for those who come, staff for those who might
Divide by attendance as well as registration. In the example above, if only 80 of 100 students attend each day, the same $15,500 covers 400 student days, and the cost per attending student rises to $38.75.
You can trim staffing to confirmed headcount, but only after a confirmation step. If everyone arrives and you have cut staff, you are out of ratio.
05 / Weigh it against the cost of a missed day
Here is the number your CBO will want. Under §46120(c)(3)(A), a district that fails the day or hour requirements loses 0.0048 times its apportionment for each day. Charter schools face 0.0049 under (c)(3)(B).
| Annual apportionment | Cost of one missed day | Cost of five missed days |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $2,400 | $12,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $9,600 | $48,000 |
| $10,000,000 | $48,000 | $240,000 |
Using the example worksheet, a full $15,500 week looks modest next to the $48,000 that five failed days would cost a district with a $2 million apportionment.
06 / Funding context
For 2026-27, LEAs at or above 55 percent unduplicated pupil percentage are funded at $2,750 per unit under §46120(d)(1)(C), with a unit based on prior-year classroom-based ADA multiplied by UPP. Other LEAs are funded under §46120(d)(1)(D), with a minimum of $1,800 per unit starting in 2026-27.
Timing matters too. Under §46120(d)(9)(A), funds must be spent by June 30 of the fiscal year following the year of appropriation, and any unspent funds go back to the state. Our ELO-P funding calculator can help you estimate your allocation.
07 / How to compare a vendor quote
Ask each vendor to quote on the same basis: per site per day at a stated enrollment. Then line it up against your worksheet, with the same inclusions on both sides. A low quote that leaves out materials or substitutes is not actually low. Our ELO-P intersession RFP scope template has language that makes quotes comparable.
Frequently asked questions
Should we calculate cost per student or per student day?
Use cost per student day. Camps vary in length, and students attend different numbers of days, so a per-day number is the only one you can compare across windows and vendors.
Is the site lead counted in the ratio?
Our worksheet assumes not, since a site lead who is handling sign-in and parent calls is not directly supervising a group. Follow your own policy and confirm how your program documents ratios.
Can ELO-P funds pay for an outside vendor?
Section 46120(d)(3)(A) says funds shall be used to support pupil access to programs, and the statute repeatedly refers to LEAs that contract with third-party providers. Check each cost with your business office. Our allowable expenditures checklist goes line by line.
Want a real number for your sites?
Tell us your sites, dates and grade bands, and Kodely will send back a quote on this same basis, including staffing, materials and backup coverage. See how we run expanded learning.
Give us 20 minutes. On a call. That is it. Book a time here.
Sources and further reading
- California Education Code §46120
- California Education Code §8483.4
- CDE 2026-27 Principal Apportionment Funding Rates
Published by The Kodely Blog. Example figures are illustrative only. This post is general information and not legal advice.