As the 2015-16 school year winds down, Cook County Schools – ISD 166 staff and community members are working hard to create a plan for preschool for the next school year that meets space and budget constraints and parental concerns.
At the March 3 ISD 166 school board meeting, Greg Gentz reported on a second meeting of the Sawtooth Mountain Preschool Parent Advisory Council (PAC) which had taken place February 29. The gathering, attended by 14 community members, was held to discuss ideas regarding the structure of next year’s preschool program.
Gentz said the group is concerned that the district is considering decreasing the scope of the preschool program from the current enrollment of 53 students down to 40 students. In addition to the loss of access to preschool for the excess students it may also create child care burdens for those previously relying on preschool being available.
Gentz, together with his wife Mimi Gentz, compiled a spreadsheet with possible scenarios in answer to the one first presented by Superintendent Beth Schwarz. That preliminary idea, of decreasing preschool to 40 students with a parent paid tuition of $80 per month for 20 of those students, leaves a shortage of $47,399.
The Gentz’s proposals would structure the program to include an estimated 54 students. Tuition would be increased to a top level of $160 to $200 per month. A four-tiered sliding scale based on an income formula would decrease the tuition for the majority of the students by 25 to 100 percent. The projected shortfall could then be decreased to approximately $2,000 to $13,000.
Since much of the district’s current budget shortfall is tied to declining enrollment, Board Member Terry Collins mentioned the value of keeping young families involved in the district. The board discussed a restructuring of the Community Education budget to allow for more of those resources to be used toward preschool. Since Superintendent Schwarz was absent from the meeting due to illness, the board agreed to revisit the issue at another meeting.
Preschool outside ISD 166?
The possibility of having a program sponsored by an organization other than the school district was also entertained and at a subsequent meeting on Monday, March 7, about 25 people— members of the PAC and of the ISD 166 Early Childhood Coalition—heard more about that potential option. Representatives of a local daycare cooperative, the Cooperation Station in Grand Marais, explained that that entity is considering launching a preschool program.
Parents and community members asked questions about how a preschool at Cooperation Station would work— would licensing be the same as at ISD 166, what hours would preschool be available, and so on. Betsy Jorgenson, a Cooperation Station board member said the nonprofit is still working on the details.
There were many questions about what would best meet the needs of community preschoolers—3- or 4-hour sessions or all-day sessions; at ISD 166 or at another location. There was discussion of providing transportation from preschool to daycare sites; discussion of the amount families could afford to pay for preschool and concern about meeting Headstart requirements.
Finally, Schwarz distributed a survey and asked attendees to complete it and to spread the word to other preschool parents to also give input. She said the survey would be very helpful as planning continued—not just for ISD 166, but for the Cooperation Station and the Cook County Community YMCA as well, as it is also working to expand its early childhood offerings.
Sara Silence, Birch Grove Community School community education director, said it would be helpful for the West End school as well, for its Saplings Preschool program
Volunteer Sandra Taenzer, a retired special education administrator and speech language therapist noted that the Grand Portage Preschool offers 4-hour sessions, 4 days per week. She said the more “congruency and consistency” there is between the different programs, the better.
The survey is important reiterated Schwarz. “My big question,” she said “is, what do parents want? I really think that will determine services.”
Jennifer Speck, a current ISD 166 parent, asked when the decision would be made. Noting that a lottery might be held to determine what children will be able to go to preschool at ISD 166, Speck encouraged the school to make its decision soon. “I’m just hear because I want to know if I’m going to be able to send my son here again like I did last year—or if I have to look for something else.”
Another parent, Kerrie Berg, asked how everyone would learn about the options. Board Member Collins said the process will take place at school board meetings. He pointed out that preschool competes for funding with athletics, teacher and administration costs, etc. “At some point, a whole lot of moving parts with dollar signs will have to come together.”
Taenzer said the Early Childhood Coalition is “really interested” in creating a viable model for early childhood that works for everyone.
Schwarz said she hopes to have a plan in place—possibly a hybrid of the first proposal and the one put together by the Gentzs—to present at the March 17 school board meeting. The school board will be making a final determination at the April 7 meeting.
Speaking for the PAC, Greg Gentz expressed appreciation to Superintendent Schwarz for her work in creating the initial proposal that got the discussion started, as well as for providing all the data needed to develop the alternate proposals.
“You have an extremely difficult job,” said Gentz to Schwarz, noting that she can rarely please everyone.
Cook County parents of preschool aged children are encouraged to complete the survey. Find it on the Cook County Schools website at cookcountyschools.org/
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