The Brookline School Committee’s finance subcommittee voted to recommend raising tuition rates for the Brookline Early Education Program (BEEP) and to keep the program’s financial-aid seats after a detailed presentation on enrollment, operating costs and grant support.

The recommendation, approved by a 3–1 roll-call in the subcommittee, calls for an 8% tuition increase for next year and leaves the 40 financial-aid slots in place. The subcommittee also recommended a $1,000-per-month fee for the BEEP extended-day program (10 months) while asking staff to monitor enrollment and staffing before further expansion.

Why it matters: BEEP serves preschool children with and without Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and uses a mix of tuition, grants and general-fund support. Subcommittee members said they wanted to balance program access for lower-income families and the program’s financial sustainability as personnel costs rise.

Staff presented enrollment and budget figures that showed BEEP serving 283 children in Aspen, including 40 students who receive services under an IEP and roughly 201 paying tuition seats. Margaret Eberhard, principal of BEAP, told the subcommittee: “The transition to a school day for all 283 of our students has been really wonderful … the children are amazing. The educators are amazing.”

Dr. Susan Givens, a district staff member who walked the subcommittee through budget assumptions, said estimated operating expenses for next year total about $4.315 million for the program’s operating side and roughly $3.05 million charged to the revolving fund. She said above-the-line costs such as benefits and leases add materially to the program’s total cost; staff estimated total program costs “just about $9.5 million” when benefit and lease obligations are included.

Subcommittee members discussed three fee scenarios that staff presented: 3%, 5% and 8% annual increases over a three-year plan. The staff had recommended a middle path (5% annually) to balance affordability and cost recovery; some subcommittee members favored a higher increase to accelerate moving toward a tuition level that covers revolving-fund expenses.

The subcommittee’s motion recommended an 8% increase, no reduction in the existing 40 financial-aid seats until utilization declines, and an initial $1,000-per-month extended-day fee (10 months). The motion passed 3–1: Val (yes), Sarah (yes), Mariah (yes), Carolyn (no). The recommendation will go to the full School Committee for final approval.

Context: Staff said a breakeven tuition—one that would cover the revolving-fund operating expenses and indirect costs—would be substantially higher than current rates; staff estimated a one-year breakeven tuition of about $17,800 under current assumptions. Subcommittee members asked staff for more granular modeling: projected enrollment sensitivity, breakpoints for adding extended-day seats without added staff, and a clearer line-item presentation of benefits and lease obligations.

Next steps: The subcommittee asked staff to circulate updated written material that clearly lists benefits/above-the-line items and to return to the full committee with the recommendation and fiscal modeling. The full School Committee will consider the recommendation in a later meeting.