Whether or not Knox Elementary School should charge families for preschool was briefly debated during last week’s school board meeting. School officials are looking at charging $40 a week for five half-days of preschool a week*, while making arrangements to reduce the cost for families who can’t afford it.
But School Board President Gary Dulin had some concerns with that, especially when the school corporation has millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief available. “I don’t necessarily agree with charging some people and not charging all or not charging at all,” he said.
Many low-income families would qualify for free preschool under the state’s On My Way Pre-K program, but that wouldn’t apply to Knox Elementary’s preschool until it’s certified by the state.
Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart said school officials have discussed the idea of using ESSER money to make the first year of preschool free, but state officials have suggested that it’s easier to start with a fee than to add one later. He said the school already plans to use up to $88,000 of the ESSER III money earmarked for learning loss as a buffer, in case the fees alone don’t bring in enough money to pay a preschool teacher.
In any case, Reichhart felt that preschool is critically important to the community. “I think that of all the things that we’re going to do during my tenure here, starting Redskin Academy is probably number one in my opinion, and now starting preschool and expansion of preschool will probably the second-best thing that we’ve done since I’ve been here,” he told board members. “This vocational wing, I think, would be probably the third-best thing, plus all the renovations and everything we’ve done.”
Board Member Mary Lynn Ritchie noted that the fee would be similar to school lunches, where some kids have to pay and some don’t, depending on need. But Reichhart cautioned that the qualifications for free preschool may be different from those for free or reduced lunch.
*Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the $40 fee under consideration was for each half-day of preschool. School officials have since clarified that the proposed $40 fee would cover an entire week of half-day classes.
