Marysville board outlines plan to assume preschool services after UCBDD funding shortfall

Marysville Exempted Village Board of Education members met in a special work session April 2 to review a proposal for the district to assume preschool services now provided at the Harold Lewis Center after the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities (UCBDD) notified area districts it cannot continue to fund the program.

District staff said the change stems from recent increases in Medicaid-funded service rates that UCBDD must cover; those higher rates were not included in some prior levy projections. "They made those projections without increasing Medicaid costs," a district staff member, Kara (district staff member), said during the meeting. Kara told the board that the result is insufficient county-level funding to sustain preschool services for multiple districts and that Marysville would be affected because roughly 90% of the students currently served at Harold Lewis are Marysville students.

Why it matters: the district estimates preschool operations will add roughly $3 million in recurring costs; after projected state and tuition revenue, Marysville staff estimated a remaining general-fund shortfall of about $2,575,000 that the district would need to fill. Todd (district staff member) said state funding for the program currently shows up in the district's foundation settlements and that, under the proposed arrangement, those dollars would remain with the district rather than being deducted and routed to UCBDD. "That would show up in our . . . state foundation funding," Todd said when explaining how the $577,000 state amount appears in the five-year forecast.

The board heard details of the district's preliminary plan to use the Harold Lewis Center as a Marysville-operated preschool center beginning with the next school year, keeping the district calendar (start Aug. 21) and aligning winter and spring breaks to Marysville's schedule. Staff said Harold Lewis administrators and many current Harold Lewis employees would be offered positions as Marysville employees if the transition proceeds. Transportation would be contracted through the district's existing vendor.

Staff presented projected staffing needs for the consolidated preschool site: one administrator, 13 aides (in addition to current preschool staff at Naven Elementary), approximately 10 intervention specialists, a half-time nurse, about 2.25 occupational therapists, about 1.5 physical therapists and roughly 2.4 speech pathologists. Those estimates are based on Marysville salary averages and benefits and were described as preliminary.

Projected revenue in the district's plan includes about $577,000 from state supports and roughly $248,000 if peer tuition were assessed at current rates, for a combined projected income of about $825,000. Kara said the $1.50-per-day peer tuition currently charged by Harold Lewis and Marysville is under review; Harold Lewis had planned to raise peer tuition to $1.75 prior to the funding change.

Capacity and program design: staff said Harold Lewis could be licensed for roughly 14 classrooms, configured with a mix of general-education peer classrooms and specialized preschool special-education classrooms. The district intends to preserve the peer-model approach used in early childhood special education, which places typically developing peers in classrooms to model social and academic behaviors for children on individualized education programs (IEPs). A UCBDD staff member described preschool as only about 20% of UCBDD's services, noting UCBDD also provides early intervention (birth-to-3), service coordination and long-term supports for adults with developmental disabilities.

Budget and levy implications: board members raised the immediate budgetary impact on Marysville's planned May levy. Staff noted the district's May ballot request is projected to generate about $6.8 million in new revenue; district staff said nearly half of that amount would be used to absorb preschool costs under the current estimates. "Our preschool projected costs are going to come out to around $3,000,000," Kara said. Board members asked whether the district could preserve other planned levy commitments if the district must use reserves or reduce the projected return of previously cut services; staff said doing so would worsen the district's five-year forecast and that multiple options remain under consideration.

Next steps and community outreach: staff said they will meet with Harold Lewis staff and district employees to discuss transition details and that letters to parents have been drafted but not sent. The board scheduled further discussion at a follow-up meeting next week and plans a more detailed update at the next regular board meeting. Staff also said the district is working on transportation models and onboarding procedures and that, if parents or staff at Harold Lewis remain employed in other district roles, Marysville will try to honor that commitment.

Formal action: the meeting concluded with a routine motion to adjourn that was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. The transcript records the following roll-call confirmations at adjournment: "Mr. Smith? Yes. Mr. Savage? Yes. Mr. Ferguson? Yes. Mr. Jackson? Yes." Earlier in the meeting the roll call listed Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Keller as absent; staff acknowledged the attendance list discrepancy and the district's minutes will record official attendance.

Board members emphasized the district's legal obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide appropriate services to eligible children on IEPs and said maintaining preschool services is a priority while the district works through budget and operational questions. A district staff member summarized the rationale: "We want to continue to provide a strong preschool program for our students," Kara said.

The board did not take a formal vote to adopt the preschool plan at the April 2 work session; the session was limited to discussion, information-sharing and direction to staff to continue planning and community outreach.