DANVILLE – Parents may have to dig a little deeper in their pockets to send their children to Danville Area Community College's Child Development Center this fall.

DACC trustees on Tuesday will vote on whether to increase the center's fees $5 to $10 a week over the current fees.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The meeting is in Vermilion Hall, Room 302, at the campus, 2000 E. Main St. A copy of the agenda and board packet is available online.  

Under a proposal, the weekly rates for children of DACC students would go from $105 to $115 for 2- and 3-year-olds; from $100 to $105 for 3- to 5-year-olds; and from $95 to $105 for 6- through 12-year-olds.

The weekly rates for children of nonstudents would go from $120 to $130 for 2- and 3-year-olds; from $115 to $120 for 3- to 5-year olds; and from $100 to $110 for 6- through 12-year-olds.

The yearly art fee would go from $45 to $50 per child for both students and nonstudents.

President Alice Jacobs estimated the increase would generate an additional 15,000 to $20,000 in revenue. She added it's needed to help offset rising costs of wages and benefits, food expenses and instructional supplies.

Jacobs said the last time the rates were raised was in August 2008. At that time, the center introduced the special student rate for students who are enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours per semester. As a result, more students have been able to send their children there, she said.

"We're currently seeing a higher percentage of students who have taken advantage of it," Jacobs said. She added that the center is almost full for the fall semester.

"That's certainly a testimony to the center's value," she said.

Enrollment is typically around 72 children, child development center officials said. As of Friday, they said, there were only five openings.

Also at the meeting, trustees will vote on whether to purchase classroom and facility scheduling software from Dean Evans & Associates. The total purchase, installation and training would cost $52,535, and there would be an annual maintenance fee of $7,380.

The recommendation comes from a task force that was formed in 2009 to look at an alternative method of efficiently scheduling classrooms and events at DACC facilities.

"When someone needs to add a class now, it's all done manually," Jacobs said. "We have fewer administrators and staff, so it's really essential that we utilize available technology to accomplish those kinds of tasks more efficiently."

She added that more and more groups and business and industry in the community continue to use DACC's facilities for trainings, meetings and other events.