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Madison County officials say state guidance leaves pre-K programs at risk; board weighs options
Summary
District staff told the school board the state Department of Early Childhood has not confirmed whether it will fully fund Office of School Readiness (OSR) classrooms or allow the district to charge tuition, leaving roughly $145,000 previously covered by tuition at risk and forcing the district to consider pausing non‑Title I preschool enrollment.
Madison County Schools officials told the school board on Jan. 9 that state guidance issued last year — and follow‑up responses from the Department of Early Childhood Education — left the district without a clear funding path for several OSR (Office of School Readiness) preschool classrooms.
At a work session presentation, district staff said the department emailed a notice in May saying public schools could no longer charge tuition in state‑funded preschool classrooms. That change, staff said, would remove about $145,000 a year the district had been collecting at non‑Title I schools to cover classroom shortfalls. Staff reported using accumulated tuition funds as a stopgap for 2024–25 while they wait for a definitive answer from the department or the Legislature.
The board heard that the OSR classrooms carry specific program requirements: a maximum of 18 students per classroom and a requirement that two adults be present. The district said those rules increase recurring costs because…
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