STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
NB 2
10/13/26
TN
Date: October 13, 2026
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From: Sonya Patterson, Director - Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Community Services Department
Subject: Project Stride Program Memorandum of Understanding with Lancaster School District
Recommendations:
A. Approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Lancaster and Lancaster School District for the implementation of Project Stride.
B. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the agreement and all related documents and/or amendments subject to City Attorney approval.
G.C. Section 84308: No.
Fiscal Impact:
$101,881, sufficient funds are available in Community Services Budget Account Number 10162700-6270.
Background:
The City of Lancaster in collaboration with both the Lancaster School District and Westside Union School District has developed Project Stride, a proposed 9-month pilot program aligned with the 2026/27 school year. This initiative addresses chronic absenteeism, low literacy rates, classroom and family engagement, and personal development through a coordinated after-school curriculum. Approval of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes administrative roles without requiring financial transfers between agencies.
Program Framework
Project Stride combines academic support, mentorship, physical activity, and family involvement around three interconnected components, also known as ‘strides’:
• Knowledge Stride (Literacy and LRISE) involves the City's Lancaster Reading & Involvement for School Engagement (LRISE) initiative. It features 1-on-1 reading mentorship, structured literacy activities, and resources for reading comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills.
• Reliable Stride (Attendance Intervention) focuses on building habits to reduce chronic absenteeism. City staff will conduct school-based attendance check-ins approximately three times per week, recognize student progress, and work with families to address attendance barriers.
• Power Stride (Tae Kwon Do & Character Development) uses structured Tae Kwon Do as a tool to develop discipline, focus, respect, perseverance, self-control, and personal accountability, reinforcing behaviors required for academic success.
Project Stride, a 8-month pilot program aligned with the standard school year, is committed to helping students strengthen the literacy skills, attendance, and character necessary to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom and well into the future. Students gather twice weekly after school and three times weekly for attendance check-ins.
The program intentionally incorporates family engagement, since improving student attendance and literacy often requires support beyond the individual student.
Project Stride’s benefits will extend into the community and are expected to proactively address early warning signs of disengagement to build stronger readers, support families, and cultivate productive future community members.
City and District Partnership
The success of Project Stride depends on collaboration between the City, participating school districts, participating schools, students, and families. The City of Lancaster is responsible for overall operations, including program staffing, instructors, curriculum delivery, attendance tracking, family communications, and documentation. The City is currently partnering with Lancaster School District to implement Project Stride. Lancaster School District will provide appropriate school facilities for programming and assist with student identification, enrollment, school-based coordination, communication with families and teachers, and other support necessary to successfully integrate the program within the participating school site. As Project Stride expands, the City anticipates a future partnership with Westside Union School District to extend the program to additional students and schools. Upon implementation, Westside School District is expected to provide similar school-site coordination and support consistent with the Project Stride program model.
Measuring Success
Since Project Stride is a pilot program, evaluate using key metrics, including:
• Reductions in chronic absenteeism and improvements in regular attendance. • Literacy growth and reading comprehension markers.
• Program retention rates and behavioral/classroom engagement indicators. • Feedback from participating students, parents, teachers, and staff. • High levels of family engagement activities.
Mid- and year-end evaluations allow City and District partners an opportunity to assess program successes, identify opportunities for improvement, and program continuation, modification, or expansion. Then City Council will be briefed on program participation, outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations following the pilot’s completion.
Mid-year and year-end evaluations will determine necessary operational adjustments. A final report will be presented to the City Council upon completion of the pilot to summarize outcomes and provide recommendations regarding program expansion.
Project Stride is ultimately about helping students take meaningful, consistent steps toward their successful future by immediately building stronger readers, more engaged students, supported families, and a stronger Lancaster community.
Attachment:
Memorandum of Understanding – Lancaster School District SP:VR:MV