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District outlines options for pre-K after state memo; CERDEP coding, funding and requirements explained
Summary
District staff described two paths to comply with a state memo: pursue DSS licensure for all 4K classrooms or convert qualifying pre-K classes to CERDEP coding, which pays about $5,100 per eligible pupil but requires income-based selection and state monitoring.
Rebecca Denton, a member of the district office early-childhood team, briefed the board on state-mandated changes affecting 4K classrooms and the district’s plan to align several pre-K sections with CERDEP (Child Early Reading Development and Education Program) coding.
Denton said the district received guidance from the state indicating 4K classrooms must be either licensed under the Department of Social Services (DSS) or enrolled under CERDEP rules. She told the board that DSS licensure would require meeting an extensive checklist — she described roughly 25 pages of guidelines and 14 staffing items — and that some DSS requirements (for example, staff verifying the identity of people dropping off children and escorting them inside) would be operationally difficult in an elementary building.
Under the CERDEP approach, Denton said the state funds eligible students at approximately $5,100 per pupil. To preserve the district’s current Education Improvement Act (EIA) funding level for pre-K this year (about $173,456), district staff estimated they need at least 34 CERDEP-coded students to reach an equivalent funding level. Denton said CERDEP eligibility is based on family income coding in PowerSchool; selection under CERDEP is income-based only, and the application will ask families to verify income.
Other CERDEP requirements the district outlined: 180 days of service for CERDEP students (aligning start dates with kindergarten staggered starts), four interim reports per year (district currently reports three), two parent conferences per year for CERDEP classrooms, 15 hours per year of required professional development for CERDEP teachers, and state monitoring visits for CERDEP sites.
Denton said the district initially plans to seek CERDEP coding at two Title I schools — Bethany and Kynard — because those schools already have sufficient numbers of income-eligible children; Lauren Elementary is being held as a backup. Denton emphasized the district’s goal to avoid moving students between schools to meet quotas and said the district will verify families’ income through the application process.
Board members asked clarifying questions about which classes would be affected and whether the district could expand CERDEP classrooms in future years; Denton said the district expects to begin with a limited rollout and expand after the first year if needed.
No formal vote was taken at the meeting; the item was presented for information and direction.
