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Community education seeks 5% fee increases for early‑childhood programs; board to act in January
Summary
Community education staff proposed roughly 5% increases to Mini Adventures, Adventure Club and ECFE/PreK‑3 fees to cover rising costs; staff emphasized sliding fee scales, state funding sources, and a 'no one turned away' policy for ECFE; board will consider action in January.
Columbia Heights’ community education director presented proposed fee adjustments for early‑childhood and out‑of‑school programs, recommending roughly 5% increases for Mini Adventures, Adventure Club and ECFE/PreK‑3 sliding‑fee classes for the 2026–27 year.
Director Stonkel said community education programs must be self‑sustaining and that proposed changes reflect staffing stabilization and rising costs. She provided sample rates — for example, Mini Adventures and Adventure Club increases of about 5% and a $1 monthly increase at the lowest ECFE income tier — and clarified that the PreK‑3 fee table shown uses monthly amounts. Stonkel emphasized ECFE’s policy that no one is turned away for inability to pay and described braided funding that includes state ECFE and school‑readiness dollars plus CCAP and pathways funding to subsidize families.
Board members asked for comparative pricing with neighboring districts and confirmation that Pathways and other subsidies are available; Stonkel said she checks neighboring rates and tries to keep district fees competitive. She also told the board PreK‑4 fees will not increase this year because so few families currently pay outside VPK funding.
The proposal was informational; Stonkel said the fee schedule will return for formal action in January and urged outreach to boost Adventure Club enrollment to help lower per‑student costs.
