Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childhood Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Goshen schools to issue UPK RFP; district warns grant won’t fully cover expanded enrollment
Summary
Assistant superintendent Jason Hart told the board the district’s UPK allocation is $920,362 (funding up to 160 seats), but current contract costs mean the district will need to use general‑fund dollars to expand beyond the 54 seats already served.
Goshen Central School District officials said the district will issue a request for proposals for universal prekindergarten (UPK) services and that the grant allocation will not fully cover expansion costs under the current contract.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, Personnel and Technology Jason Hart told the Board of Education the district’s UPK allocation this year is $920,362, which "would allow us to place 160 students in the UPK program." He said the district will issue an RFP to seek providers and pricing for both the 54 students currently placed in‑house and for expanded capacity up to 160 seats.
Hart said the district’s existing contract for the 54 in‑house students costs approximately $364,000 annually, of which roughly $310,000 comes from the UPK grant and the district covers about $54,000 from the general fund each year. "If we were to place 160 students even with the current contract ... we would be looking at, spending approximately $160,000" from the district’s general fund, he said.
The assistant superintendent said the RFP is near completion and will be reviewed by district counsel before release. The goal is to post the solicitation before September, receive proposals by mid‑October, and then evaluate options that balance fiscal impact with program capacity. "The fastest way to make progress is to go slow," Hart said, describing a deliberate review process and plans for a representative interview committee drawn from middle school staff and administrators.
Board members asked about the grant’s historic changes and capacity; Hart replied the allocation has grown over recent years and now funds up to 160 full‑day seats. He also said district leaders will analyze whether contract pricing returned in the RFP would require larger general‑fund contributions if per‑pupil costs exceed the grant amount.
District officials said they will present recommendation(s) to the board after reviewing proposals and committee input.
The UPK grant and RFP discussion occurred during the assistant superintendent’s report on the board agenda.
