Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Preschool Tuition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School officials propose 10% tuition increase for integrated preschool; committee gives provisional approval
Summary
Assistant superintendent presented a proposal to raise integrated preschool tuition by 10% for FY26, with the committee giving provisional approval pending a formal vote April 10; district staff and board discussed slot counts, financial aid and comparative rates.
The School Committee heard a proposal on March 27 to raise tuition for the district’s integrated preschool program by 10% for fiscal year 2026 and gave provisional approval for staff to proceed while a formal vote is scheduled for April 10.
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Mrs. Raymond presented background and the proposed rates: a five‑day morning program at $5,500, a three‑day morning program at $3,300, and a two‑day morning program at $2,200 (a 10% increase from current levels). The committee was told the lunch‑bunch fee of $20 would not change. "We also do offer financial aid for our preschool program," Raymond said, noting the district continued to reserve some slots for students with individualized education programs (IEPs).
Raymond said the program typically reaches 65–70 students by June and that, in a given classroom configuration, 24 slots are for tuition‑paying 'peer models' while about 40 students attend under special‑education placements that are tuition‑free. Committee members asked whether the program can expand and how tuition revenue offsets staffing costs; Raymond said tuition offsets roughly the equivalent of a teacher-plus and that adding another class would require hiring a full teacher and additional support staff.
Because the item had been omitted inadvertently from the formal agenda as a voteable item, the committee agreed to return for a formal vote on April 10. In the meeting’s closing minutes the committee made a motion for provisional approval and voted unanimously to allow staff to proceed with outreach and contracts pending the April 10 ratification.
The superintendent and staff said they would distribute projected contract forms to families and provide full details ahead of the April 10 formal vote. No final contract or new family billing was to be finalized until after that formal vote.
Why it matters: The integrated preschool mixes students with IEPs and tuition‑paying peer models; small changes in tuition or slot counts affect program accessibility and district revenue. Administrators noted comparable private preschool rates are substantially higher and the district aims to remain an affordable option.
