Springdale warns state pre‑K funding cuts will reduce revenue and risk access for working families

Summary

District staff told the school board on Oct. 14 that a change to CCDF and Better Beginnings reimbursement rules will reduce district revenue by roughly $500,000 next year and already creates an unbudgeted shortfall of about $138,000 for the current year; district leaders said lower-income working parents could face new co‑pays or lost child care.

At the Oct. 14 Springdale School District board meeting, a district staff member briefed the board on state changes to pre‑K funding that the district learned about in mid‑September and said the shift will materially reduce district revenue and could affect low‑income families and the local workforce.

The staff member said Springdale enrolls about 1,012 pre‑K children (ages 3–4) and that pre‑K is currently funded through three main sources: Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) funding, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) slots, and parent tuition. The presenter summarized the changes announced by the state: CCDF slot allocations have been reduced (from 212 to 192 in the district), the tiered Better Beginnings reimbursement has been collapsed so many sites will be reimbursed at a lower flat rate, and new income thresholds tied to the state median income will trigger co‑pays for families above…

Springdale warns state pre‑K funding cuts will reduce revenue and risk access for working families

Summary

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