Columbia Heights board hears plan to require VPK qualifications; administration to return with $345 fee for nonqualifying half‑day slots

The Columbia Heights Public Schools administration told the school board on Jan. 14 that a change in Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) rules will require most voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) slots to be reserved for qualifying students and asked the board to consider districtwide residency as a qualifying criterion. Administration said it will return on Jan. 28 with a formal action item proposing a $345 per month fee for nonqualifying families seeking a half‑day, five‑day weekly VPK slot.

The proposal matters because the district has offered free VPK for many years and is now required by MDE to limit funded slots to students who meet at‑risk or other eligibility criteria. Director Stonkel, who led the presentation with Assistant Superintendent Nwemwe and early childhood coordinator Carissa Curran, said the practical effect is that “if they lived out of our district, and didn't have a single one of those qualifiers, then they could not sit in one of our VPK slots. We cannot pay for that. So therefore then, those families, we would revert back to that fee base that we had prior to getting VPK.”

Administration recommended that any child whose primary residence is inside Columbia Heights Public School District boundaries be treated as qualifying for VPK slots. Stonkel cited research and local data — including Metropolitan Council figures showing 29.2% of Columbia Heights residents and 60.5% of Hilltop residents living at or below 185% of the federal poverty threshold in a recent period — to justify using neighborhood socioeconomic measures when determining “at‑risk” status. The presenters said 185% of the federal poverty level is commonly used by state and federal programs.

Under the recommended approach, nonresident families who do not meet any of the listed qualifying criteria would be offered a fee‑based option limited to half‑day AM or PM sessions; the administration recommended a proposed fee of $345 per month for a five‑day, half‑day slot. Stonkel said the district analyzed neighboring districts’ fees and current internal pre‑K3 fees when reaching that figure and noted that the fee would not cover full program costs: “When Director Stonkel ran the numbers for how many students would not qualify, it's a handful. So the fee could never cover the cost. So the majority of the cost is VPK free slots.”

Board members asked several clarifying questions about the policy mechanics and safeguards. Board member Julie asked for examples of what 185% of poverty looks like (the presenters used $31,200 as the 185% threshold for a family of four as an example). Board member Carina asked whether district administrators would retain discretion to review individual cases; Stonkel confirmed the recommendation includes such discretionary review. Director Stonkel said special education‑eligible children are covered by special education funding and would not be charged.

The administration did not ask the board to adopt a final policy on Jan. 14. Instead, it said it would return at the Jan. 28 board meeting with a formal action item to set the fee. The presenters also said all district VPK students will continue to receive transportation to and from school.

Looking ahead, the administration plans to publish qualifying criteria and an application process that will allow families to request discretionary review. Stonkel recommended treating the primary residence inside the Columbia Heights Public School District as a sufficient qualifying condition and maintaining an administrative review process for other cases.

Why it matters: Columbia Heights has offered VPK free to enrolled families for years; the change in MDE funding rules could reduce the number of universally available free slots and make some families — chiefly nonresidents without qualifying conditions — responsible for a new fee. The district’s recommendation aims to preserve universal access for resident families while complying with state funding restrictions.

The board did not vote on the proposed fee on Jan. 14; administration will bring a recommended fee and policy language back as an action item at the Jan. 28 meeting.