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Board approves contracts and grants to continue Pima Early Education Program scholarships and partnerships
Summary
Supervisors approved a package of contracts and funding agreements to extend the county’s Pima Early Education Program (PEAPS), preserving scholarship funding and partner grants for preschool access and program expansion.
The Board of Supervisors on May 6 approved a bundle of contracts and intergovernmental agreements to continue the Pima Early Education Program (PEAPS), the county’s scholarship program that pays for early-care and preschool slots for low-income families and supports high-quality program capacity-building.
The approved package included funding agreements and contracts with Community Investment Corporation, Pima Community College, local social-service providers and individual child-care operators to manage scholarships, provider grants and program administration. The board approved the items after staff explained how the program transitions from temporary pandemic-source funding toward a longer-term funding structure and how the library district and other partners are participating.
Why it matters: PEAPS is designed to increase the number of children ages 3–5 from low-income families attending high-quality preschools and to build more high-quality slots in the county. Panel materials and the county administrator’s memo showed prior investments produced strong leverage; county staff said early evidence indicates these scholarships help children and families access stable childcare so parents can work and children gain school readiness skills.
Board comment and city funding: Supervisors noted that the City of Tucson's recommended budget included cuts to its draft contribution to the program; county staff and the county administrator said the city’s budget had not been finalized and that the county would continue to coordinate with municipal partners to ensure program continuity.
Next steps: Staff will continue monitoring partner contributions and program metrics and will report back to the board; the county’s procurement and contract-management teams will execute the agreements approved by the board.
