Council committees move joint city‑county plan to expand Pre‑K to include 3‑year‑olds and remove income eligibility threshold

A joint ordinance to expand city and county‑funded Pre‑K to include 3‑year‑olds and remove an income eligibility threshold advanced in committee discussion March 18, with officials describing the change as a multiyear, phased rollout.

Doctor Candace Thomas of First State Memphis told the Budget and Audit Committee that the program has strong outcomes and high participation. "We saw last year that 63 percent of our pre k students outperform their peers across the country," Thomas said, and she reported an 80 percent capacity enrollment for the first quarter and 95 percent attendance among enrolled 4‑year‑olds.

The nut graf: the joint ordinance would designate a fiscal agent and remove income limits so that Pre‑K classroom slots funded by the city and county could be opened to all 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds over time. The plan calls for an initial phase keeping First State Memphis classrooms as the starting point while expanding capacity in subsequent years, contingent on budget and program readiness.

Council members asked about funding models and timelines. Walter Person, CFO for the city, said the program has been funded from the 2019 sales tax referendum (fund 245) and that the city has requested increased FY26 funding to add classrooms. He warned that sales‑tax revenue can be variable and said further fiscal analysis would be needed to define steady‑state expansion. Committee leadership asked staff to return with budget scenarios and phased implementation plans before any full rollout.

Ending: The ordinance will be reworked to match county language and return for a committee vote; if the council approves the joint ordinance, city staff and the fiscal agent plan to phase in 3‑year‑old slots starting next school year in classrooms determined by availability and operator readiness.