Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Learning Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Swain County Board to consider sliding scale for Bright Adventures pre‑K after staff warn fees may bar some families; after‑school grant not awarded
Summary
District staff presented a proposed sliding scale for Bright Adventures Pre‑K tuition after several families said a previously approved $600 monthly private‑pay rate would prevent them from enrolling; the board deferred final action to June.
District staff told the board May 17 that a $600 monthly private‑pay rate for Bright Adventures Pre‑K, approved previously for families who do not qualify for NC Pre‑K, could prevent several families from enrolling and that a sliding scale is under consideration.
Trish, the Bright Adventures coordinator, told the board that as of the most recent paperwork seven families would not qualify for NC Pre‑K and that three families had said they would not send their children under the $600 fee. “Those are the families that I worry about the most,” she said, noting some are a few thousand dollars above the state median income cutoff. Trish presented a proposed sliding scale keyed to state median income bands and asked the board to discuss but not finalize the change until a future meeting. The board agreed to put the matter back on the agenda in June so parents can plan; acceptance letters historically go out in June.
Staff also reported the district did not receive a major after‑school grant this year. The administration said only a small number of public school applicants statewide received full awards and that most awards favored summer‑only proposals from private organizations; the district previously budgeted local dollars and expected partial grant support. The superintendent said the district had budgeted locally to cover up to $150,000 and received about $80,000 from previous awards, but the latest award cycle provided little new funding. She told the board she would present options, including a possible fee or alternative funding sources, at a subsequent meeting.
On capacity, Trish said Bright Adventures has five classrooms and can serve up to about 90 seats; in a prior year the program operated six classrooms, supporting roughly 106 seats before staffing constraints reduced capacity. She said subsidy programs exist and in some cases provide higher per‑child returns than NC Pre‑K, and staff will explore grant opportunities and assigned subsidy slots in further budget work.
Outcome: the board did not change tuition at the meeting. The administration will present a sliding‑scale proposal and options for after‑school funding at upcoming meetings in May/June for final decisions before fall enrollment.
