Chandler Unified outlines expansion plan for preschool and pre-K; district served about 1,000 youngest learners

Chandler Unified School District officials presented the governing board with a status report and expansion plan for early childhood programming, describing current enrollment, program models and funding strategies while flagging uncertainty when temporary federal funds expire.

During a study session April 9, district leaders said Chandler Unified currently operates preschool (age 3) and prekindergarten (age 4) classrooms across multiple sites and over the past five years has served roughly 1,000 children in those programs. Doctor Herb Fletcher, who opened the presentation, said there are about 16,000 children age 0–4 living in the district boundary, based on the district demographer’s report, and noted national and state shortfalls: U.S. Census estimates put 0–4 population at about 18 million nationally, and Arizona’s youngest learners number roughly 400,000. Fletcher and colleagues stressed a funding gap — only an estimated 18% of U.S. children 0–4 access early childhood programming, and Arizona’s “education progress meter” recently reported 32% participation in high-quality early learning settings, up 11 percentage points in two years but reliant in part on one-time federal ESSER funds.

Doctor Kim Marshall and Doctor Stephanie Edgar reviewed Chandler Unified’s program history and the district’s model. Marshall traced preschool growth in the 1990s and expansion of inclusive programs and said the district has been moving toward consistent, Department of Health Services (DHS) licensing across classrooms. As of the presentation the district planned about 47 preschool/pre-K classrooms (not all fully licensed yet) and reported that 72% of the district’s four‑year‑old pre-K students who attend CUSD preschool enroll in district kindergarten the following year.

Edgar described curriculum and professional development work: certified teachers and paraprofessionals staff the classrooms, the district is standardizing materials and coaching, and early‑childhood assessments have shifted from Teaching Strategies GOLD to a district childhood outcome survey designed to capture the whole‑child measures (social skills, adaptive behavior) the district tracks at entry and exit. Marshall and Edgar said the district now uses “braided” funding that mixes tuition (community education), First Things First/Quality First dollars, Title I funds and federal special‑education dollars so sites can share costs for furniture, curriculum and coaching.

Officials outlined program variety: themed tuition‑based classes previously included Reggio and Montessori‑inspired classrooms, dual language exploration (noted at Tarwater, Liberty and Freedom schools), and a Little Explorers program operated by Community Education that serves younger children (participants said Little Explorers operates on three campuses and enrolls roughly 210 students ages 0–5). Staff said Little Explorers is not “day care” in district language but a longer‑hour program with a curriculum, DHS oversight and at least one five‑star First Things First campus.

Board members asked about measures of effectiveness. Marshall and Fletcher said older assessment packages (TS GOLD) showed students made gains; the district is piloting its early childhood outcome survey and is working to align preschool measurements with kindergarten and K–2 assessments so growth can be tracked across years. District staff said they have SACE/student ID numbers for students who attended district preschool, enabling longitudinal tracking for those pupils, but cannot compare them reliably to children who did not attend district programs because out‑of‑district programs are not always documented.

Board questions also probed access barriers. District staff cited cost and local capacity — certified teachers raise operating expenses versus non‑district child care — and noted heavy competition in Chandler from private providers and community partners. The district said it is working with nonprofit partners (Ascend and others) and considering reimagined site space and grant/private partnerships to scale programs.

District leaders recommended continued emphasis on licensing, braiding funds, professional development, a consistent curriculum across sites and improving family outreach to boost pre‑K retention and enrollment. They reiterated that some short‑term gains recorded during recent years rely on federal ESSER funding and may diminish as that money sunsets.

The board did not take formal action during the study session; the presentation was followed by a separate technology study session and subsequent agenda items in the evening meeting.

Sources: presentation to Chandler Unified School District Governing Board, April 9, 2025; district staff comments and Q&A at the April 9 study session.