Priority 3: Integrated Preschool Programs
We are asking the legislature to remove the threat of charging preschool tuition to magnet school families. This will ensure families continue to have access to integrated magnet schools and to high-quality early childhood programming.
Why Integrated Preschool?
Early childhood education is essential to making sure that all students enter kindergarten ready to learn. The strong foundation that early childhood programs give children has been proven to increase academic achievement in the higher grades. These programs are valuable to our community, because we know that if a child comes to a magnet school in preschool, they will be reading on grade level in grade 3.  Every child should have access to a free early-childhood education and we need to reduce barriers for families to access quality magnet schools for their children.
History
  • When preschool programs in magnet schools were created, the state agreed to pay the cost of tuition. 
  • In 2008, the State began charging school districts for the tuition for preschool students enrolled in our early childhood programs. 
  • In 2012, school districts filed and won a law suit that found that school districts were not obligated to pay the educational costs for 3- & 4-year-olds.
  • During the 2014 legislative session, the legislature passed a statute that could require parents to pay the tuition for children attending Sheff magnet schools in early childhood programs. 
  • Parents were not informed about this change. The marketing materials distributed to families by the Department of Education’s Regional School Choice Office (RSCO) did not include information about tuition charges. Schools continued to be advertised as having no cost for families.
  • Families with children enrolled in PreK-3 were not informed that they could be charged in 2014-15 for their child to stay in their current school for PreK-4.