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Board approves higher preschool and Vacation Station rates as staff warn programs are running a deficit
Summary
The board approved adjusted tuition rates for district preschool and Vacation Station for 2025-26 after staff warned preschool was projecting a substantial operating deficit; trustees discussed outreach, potential scholarships and grant hunting.
The Francis Howell R-III Board of Education approved increased tuition rates for the district's preschool and Vacation Station programs for the 2025-26 year at its Jan. 16 meeting, citing persistent operating shortfalls and rising staffing costs.
Why it matters: district staff told the board the tuition increases aim to move the programs toward break-even operations rather than subsidizing ongoing deficits. A presenter told the board the preschool program was projected to be approximately $539,872 in the red for the 2024-25 year absent rate changes and other adjustments.
Board discussion: staff and trustees discussed cost drivers, including teacher salaries (certified teachers are on the teacher salary schedule), the end of COVID-related grant funding that had previously helped sustain tuition-based programs, and the district's choice not to charge rent or utilities to the programs. Board members asked staff to continue seeking grants and other sources of subsidy and to consider scholarship options; staff said they would explore additional funding avenues and noted the team had already applied for some grants.
Public reaction: during patron comments several parents and staff urged caution and asked whether the district could subsidize rates or offer scholarships; staff said there are three enrollment windows (in-district enrolled families, district residents, then out-of-district families) and that the registration timeline would be posted soon.
Vote and outcome: board approved the tuition rate adjustments "as presented." Staff said communications to families would include the program financials to explain that increases were intended to reduce a projected deficit rather than create revenue for the district.
Implementation: staff said a new registration software rollout may slightly delay publishing of final registration dates, but enrollment windows and pricing will be communicated to families soon.
