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Pre-K funding shocker

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Illinois

Dozens of school districts around the state are scrambling to keep preschool programs intact — or to lay off staff — after learning their preschool funding was reduced or zeroed out.

Illinois lawmakers approved $50 million in additional money for preschool this year, so it was a shock to many of the programs to learn their funding was slashed.

“The cuts seem extremely devastating,” said Marcus Alexander, director of teaching and learning at Waukegan public schools, which saw its $3.5 million annual state grant cut to zero. For the past 26 years, Waukegan had received early childhood block grant funds to fund a half-day preschool. Last year, the district served 750 preschoolers who are 3 and 4 years old.

Based on the state’s new K-12 school funding formula, Waukegan is one of the neediest districts in the state. But preschool funding is not channeled through that formula. Instead, preschool block grant funds are given out through a competitive grant application open this year for the first time since 2012. Waukegan scored 42 points out of 100, far below the 60 needed to be funded. […]

In western Illinois, near Monmouth, Regional Superintendent of Education Jodi Scott said she’s preparing to lay off 35 staff members. Her office, which serves a four-county area, received an extra half million dollars in March to expand an infant and toddler program there — now it’s cut completely. […]

Theresa Hawley, senior vice-president of policy and innovation at Illinois Action for Children, a policy and advocacy group, said part of the reason districts were shut out is because public investment in preschool is about $1.3 billion, but need in the state is around $4 billion.

Go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:05 pm

Comments

Paging Diana Rauner…

Comment by Anon0091 Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:11 pm
Waukegan is trying to keep Pre-K alive in some buildings and for diverse learners, but the number of students served will be 50% less.

This is a new administration (2nd year) who released most of the senior staff and previous administration last year. Perhaps the inability to provide an acceptable grant application reflects that lack of district experience and knowledge.

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:22 pm
Part of this is crocodile tears. Districts knew the available funding was going to be awarded by grants. Waukegan and other low scoring districts need to improve their programs.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:23 pm
Three things-

1) If pre-k is such a priority and is referred to as pre-k for all why is it a competitive grant and not something we just do?

2) I wonder how the Ounce of Prevention folks fared during this process?

3) I told you so. I have been talking about this for over a year.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:27 pm
One thing and it’s most important.

Those in government, and some more than others will never value people over profits. Unless what the operation does is making money, rather than eating it up, it is low on the value tree.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:29 pm
I agree with Wensicia that inexperienced employees don’t understand how to write grant applications as well as people who did it for years. They probably used emojis and text speak.

It’s probably the same for the people granting the grants. Inexperienced because baby boomers retire and no one gets trained.

Comment by thoughts matter Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:42 pm
Competition for preK grants? What is this, the Hunger Games?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:53 pm
It’s just the wrong way to fund preschool. It needs to be part of the formula. Competitive grants to allow districts to try innovative approaches would be good.

Comment by Earnest Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 2:59 pm
BTIA

Comment by Langhorne Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:17 pm
These pre-k cuts don’t just cost people jobs. they create a huge inconvenience for the parents formerly served by them who now have to scramble to find other caregivers. this also creates unnecessary turmoil for tender age children

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:19 pm
===parents formerly served by them who now have to scramble to find other caregivers===

Funding for childcare assistance? Yeah, he vetoed that too.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:21 pm
==public investment in preschool is about $1.3 billion, but need in the state is around $4 billion.==

Per year? Manar just told us we needed an extra $3 billion per year for K-12, now we need an extra $2.7 billion for preschool?

That collective gulp you hear is from higher ed.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:22 pm
Didn’t Waukegan just pickup an additional $14.1 million in annualized revenue from last year’s EBF funding increase? And won’t they probably pickup up a similar incremental amount this upcoming year from the additional $350 million in the Budget that was just passed?

That’s an incremental $28 million to help run a $208 million operation.

Perhaps the reallocation to other districts of the $3.5 million in grant money will generate a better return on investment.

Comment by Occam Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:22 pm
Diana Rauner hasn’t been answering pages…or much of anything…for several years now.

Comment by Left Leaner Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:51 pm
I’m pretty certain the General Assembly didn’t intend for some to lose all of their Pre-K funding when they increased the amount available. I can’t imagine there won’t be legislation to change how these funds are distributed.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:52 pm
There is so much good going on in the applied science area of early childhood education, that its inexcusable for Waukegan to not score high enough to maintain their grant funding.

Looks like a silver-lining effect if under-performing, and poorly administered programs are being forced to close.

The extra $50million won’t go to waste. The Excelerate credentialing of ECE providers, by INCCRRA, will hopefully benefit from this funding increase. And, hopefully, the Waukegan area has high-scoring credentialed child care centers and homes.

These ECE people know what their doing. There have been huge and brilliant changes in the last ten years in the pedagogy of children in the US.

It will all be ok.

Comment by cdog Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 4:55 pm
@- Left Leaner - Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 3:51 pm:

===Diana Rauner hasn’t been answering pages…or much of anything…for several years now.===

Diana: Let them eat cake.

Comment by DuPage Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 5:38 pm
JSM, you were, and you were right.

I’m drive-buying this to an extent, but I just can’t see selecting preschools like we select pencils and laptops.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 5:58 pm
“I’m pretty certain the General Assembly didn’t intend for some to lose all of their Pre-K funding when they increased the amount available. I can’t imagine there won’t be legislation to change how these funds are distributed.”

If this happens, inadequate programs will continue to be funded. How is that a smart use of taxpayer dollars? We went through this with the early intervention program years and years ago, once it was RFPd only good programs were funded. It’s a much better program now because of it. Sometimes bad programs need to no longer receive funding.

Comment by Fantasma Monday, Jul 2, 18 @ 7:27 pm
And what do we do with the kids who now will not have Pre-K? This is not a good thing no matter how you want to spin it.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 8:16 am
This just in from Diana Rauner, “lasciali mangiare la torta.”

Comment by The Truth Seeker Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 8:25 am