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First State Memphis reports gains in enrollment and attendance; council committee advances $1.5M pre-k allocation
Summary
First State Memphis reported 93% enrollment and 92% attendance for pre-k programs in quarter two. Council members reviewed the quarterly outcomes and advanced a resolution to appropriate $1.5 million from the city's pre-k fund to expand seats and providers.
First State Memphis presented its quarter‑two prekindergarten outcomes report on June 24, describing October–December 2024 program activity and a proposed FY26 funding request. The organization reported 93% enrollment and 92% attendance among the program's eligible children for the quarter, an increase from previous years. First State Memphis told the council the current per‑child allocation is $9,063 for the program year and that funds mainly support teacher salaries, program expenses and administrative costs.
Why it matters: The council's budget and audit committee discussed a companion resolution to amend the FY26 operating budget and allocate an additional $1,500,000 to the "pre-k for all" program. Committee members noted the funding source would be the city's restricted sales-tax referendum fund (Fund 245), which had available fund balance, and emphasized there would be no impact on the general fund balance.
First State Memphis outlined wraparound services offered to families, including referrals for mental-health supports, healthcare access (Church Health), YMCA programs and library services. The organization highlighted teacher professional-development initiatives (a paid 10‑month series open to early-learning staff) and coaching services that all teachers in the funded classrooms receive. On early‑learning outcomes, First State Memphis said 62% of children in the program outperform national kindergarten-readiness thresholds on a nationally normed assessment.
Council discussion: Councilmembers asked for additional reporting detail on early-literacy outcomes and longer-term effects — specifically, tracking how children who attended pre-k fare in third‑grade literacy assessments and how mental‑health or wraparound services affected family outcomes. First State Memphis and partner organizations (including Seeding Success and Memphis Shelby County Schools) agreed to work on sharing those longitudinal metrics as data agreements permit.
Action: The budget and audit committee voted to forward the $1,500,000 amendment — to be funded from Fund 245 (the sales-tax referendum fund) — with a favorable recommendation to full council. Committee members asked legal staff to confirm there is no maintenance-of-effort obligation tied to the allocation and scheduled ongoing reporting requests for literacy and wraparound outcomes.
Ending: The committee's favorable recommendation sends the funding amendment to full council. Members emphasized continued monitoring of outcomes and asked First State Memphis to include literacy and longer-term academic tracking in future quarterly reporting.
