Less than two weeks ago, the county school board approved a limited pre-kindergarten program for the district’s neediest students, but Wednesday afternoon, they voted 4-1 to explore the possibility of expanding the program to include tuition-based preschool for students who don’t qualify for the free classes.
Superintendent Lynn Wright has led the charge on the pre-K issue, but though board members concur the program is beneficial, they haven’t been able to agree on its implementation within the district.
At the May 11 meeting, they voted 3-1 to offer one pre-K class at each of the district’s three elementary schools, but because the classes would be federally-funded through Title 1, children would have to meet specific socioeconomic or academic parameters to qualify.
Children from higher income households would not be eligible, which prompted Wright to seek the board’s approval to further explore the possibility of tuition-based classes for those students.
Under the tuition system, parents would pay $325 per month for children to attend the classes, which would be limited to 20 students. There would be no cost to the district if parents provided transportation.
But that was the source of contention with Board President Jane Kilgore, who voted against the May 11 measure and Wednesday’s proposal, saying she supports the idea of pre-K, but she wants it available equally to all children.
She said it’s not fair for children in the Title 1 classes to receive free schooling and transportation if the other students’ parents must pay the class fee and provide their own transportation.
“I just want it to be fair and equal to everybody,” Kilgore said. “We’re here to provide for all our kids. It’s not a mandate that we provide pre-K.”
But parents paying $400 to $450 a month for daycare might prefer to pay $300 for a district-based program, even if they have to provide transportation, Wright argued.
New Hope Elementary School Principal Joe York said parents have been calling to inquire about the program, but he doesn’t know what to tell them.
“There’s a group of students in dire need of pre-K,” York said. “Some come ready to read, and some don’t know the difference between the letter ‘A’ and the number one.”
The United States Department of Education will provide $50,000 per campus for the need-based pre-K classes. The tuition-based classes would be parent-funded, at no cost to the district. By offering both types of classes, the district could potentially provide preschool for 120 students.
Classes can only have 10 students per teacher, but 20 are allowed with a teacher and an assistant teacher in each classroom.
The Columbus Municipal School District has offered free pre-K since the late 1990s. This year, six classes were held at three of the district’s elementary schools, serving 120 students. The district will implement the program at its remaining two elementary schools this fall, upping enrollment to 160.
Of those 160 slots, 120 will be reserved for need-based students, and 40 will be available for open enrollment via lottery.
Anthony Brown, assistant superintendent for federal and special programs in the city school district, said there is always a waiting list, and the slots for 2012-2013 are filled, with eight students remaining on standby in case there is a vacancy.
The county school board will further explore the tuition-based class in the upcoming weeks to gauge public interest.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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