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Preschool funding shortfall could force tuition changes and classroom cuts, district told
Summary
District leaders told the board the preschool program currently serves 1,897 children with a 215-child wait list and faces a funding shortfall if the state’s High Quality School Readiness grant is not renewed. Administrators outlined options including modest tuition at Title I sites, registration fee increases and reduced subsidies.
Granite School District officials told the board Feb. 18 that the district’s preschool program is serving 1,897 children and has 215 children on a wait list and faces significant funding uncertainty for the 2025–26 school year.
Van Barts (preschool program lead) described a braided funding model that combines federal IDEA special education funds, state special education funds, Title I and TSSA funds, tuition, registration fees and donations. She said multiple revenue streams have tightened: federal IDEA allocations have fallen, Title I funding has not increased, and tuition revenues are declining.
Van Barts said the district applied for the state’s High Quality School Readiness (HQSR) preschool grant; the district’s request is roughly $1.99 million but the statewide shortfall in grant funding was about $12 million this year. The district does not expect to know if the HQSR application is funded until mid- to late April, she said.
Faced with a potential shortfall, district staff presented options the board could consider: raise preschool registration fees by $5 for tuition-based families; charge modest monthly tuition at Title I sites (proposed $40 per month for 4-year-olds and $20 for 3-year-olds, compared with regular tuition of $200/month for four-year-olds and $150/month for three-year-olds); limit special permits to neighborhood students; reduce full-subsidy scholarships (possible move to partial scholarships); expand fundraising and Education Foundation partnerships.
Van Barts said the district has modeled scenarios. If the district receives no additional revenue and cannot implement offsetting measures, the projection would require closing about 10.5 preschool classrooms, reducing the preschool teaching force by about 21 positions and leaving about 357 children without preschool seats. In a more moderate scenario that combines district initiatives and some external support, those impacts would be smaller.
Board members asked how the district prioritizes enrollment when demand exceeds supply; Van Barts said the grant historically requires a risk-factor form and priority for children with risk factors (including English learners and children in foster care). Board members also asked about whether special-education preschool students pay tuition; Van Barts confirmed those students pay no tuition under federal and state special-education funding rules.
Several board members expressed concern about the grant’s administration and classification of the program. Board President Julie McDermott said she found it “appalling” that some preschool funding and the HQSR grant administration moved to the Department of Workforce Services and a child-care funding stream, arguing that the program functions as education, not day care.
Van Barts said the district is pursuing grant and legislative avenues while planning modest revenue and cost-management options to preserve access for highest-need families.
The board did not take formal action at the study session; staff requested guidance and said they would return with updates as the state grant decision becomes known.
