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EMS ISD expands pre‑K eligibility, starts tuition option and negotiates childcare partnership
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Summary
District leaders told trustees they will enroll more children in pre‑K by expanding eligibility to teachers' children, starting a tuition‑based slot option for other families and pursuing a partnership with Endless Discoveries Child Care Center to increase seats and align early learning services.
Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD staff presented an expansion of the district’s pre‑kindergarten program and a proposed partnership with a private childcare provider during the July 28 meeting.
Key changes presented: Staff said the district will allow children of teachers to qualify for public pre‑K enrollment, consistent with legislative definitions of teacher eligibility. Superintendent and pre‑K staff also said the district has requested permission from the commissioner’s office to offer a tuition‑based pre‑K program that would permit the district to enroll additional students who do not meet the state’s free pre‑K eligibility criteria.
Partnership with private childcare: Administration proposed a shared‑services arrangement with Endless Discoveries Child Care Center (a private center near Saginaw) to dually enroll children in district pre‑K while allowing families to continue using off‑site childcare. Staff said Endless Discoveries is nationally accredited and meets the district’s high‑quality standards; the arrangement would align curriculum, assessments and training to promote school readiness.
Capacity and costs: District staff said the initial expansion plan increases pre‑K capacity roughly 10 percent and that as of the presentation district staff were looking at adding an additional roughly 58 seats. Administrators said the proposed tuition rate will not exceed the actual cost of educating the student and will be substantially lower than private childcare rates; staff told trustees the tuition rate is comparable to or less than local private providers.
Why it matters: Pre‑K leaders argued the change should improve early‑learning access for children whose families are not eligible under current state rules, and the teacher‑child eligibility provision provides a direct benefit to district staff. Trustees and staff noted early‑learning access promotes long‑term readiness, and they highlighted research the district previously presented on student outcomes for children who attend high‑quality pre‑K.
Next steps: Staff said the district will finalize any commissioner’s‑office permission on tuition programs, finalize partnership agreements with Endless Discoveries and report back on enrollment and implementation timelines. Trustees did not record a separate formal vote on the partnership during the July 28 session; staff said further contract steps and procedures will return for approval when required.
Ending: The district plans to implement the enrollment expansion ahead of the 2025–26 school year and to align quality and training across the shared service arrangement.
