CUSD leaders outline expansion plan for preschool and pre-K but warn funding gaps will limit growth

Chandler Unified School District officials on April 9 delivered a study-session update on the district's early childhood programming, describing the current program mix, data showing enrollment gaps, and plans to expand preschools and prekindergarten classrooms in the district.

District leaders said the goal is to expand high-quality early learning options so more 3- and 4-year-olds in Chandler can access preschool before kindergarten. Presenters framed the issue as both a local and national shortage of early learning access: nationally, presenters cited U.S. Census-based research showing roughly 18 million children ages 0 to 4 and that only about 18 percent of those children have access to an early childhood program; in Arizona, they said about 400,000 children age 0 to 4 live in the state and roughly 32 percent of Arizona's youngest learners participate in high-quality early-learning settings, an 11-percentage-point increase over two years that presenters said relied heavily on temporary federal dollars.

Why it matters: District staff told the board that early childhood programs improve school readiness for kindergarten and can increase district enrollment retention (the district reported a 72 percent retention rate from pre-K 4 into CUSD kindergarten). Leaders said maintaining and expanding programs will require continuing to braid multiple funding streams and addressing workforce and facility capacity.

What presenters said: Doctor (first name not formally given in…