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St. Joseph board debates cutting early learning services as budget review proceeds
Summary
District staff proposed program changes—including moving most regular preschool to half-day, a four-day week, and possible removal of non‑reimbursable busing or meals—to save about $800,000; trustees asked for more data and agreed not to make structural changes until staff returns with itemized figures.
Kayla, the head of the district’s early childhood department, told the St. Joseph School District Board that the department is reviewing program models and funding sources amid a budget shortfall and presented several options, including a shift of regular education preschool to half‑day, four‑day programming.
“My number one, and I believe the school district’s number one, is we want to service as many students as we can feasibly,” Kayla said, describing the options she presented as preliminary and not final decisions. She emphasized that early childhood special education (ECSE) is fully reimbursable and would not be changed.
Why it matters: The board was briefed that some preschool classrooms and services are not fully reimbursed by state or federal formulas. Kayla told trustees last‑year transportation costs for the program totaled $1,074,515.30; reimbursements covered $341,362.26, leaving roughly $733,153.04 that the district absorbed. She estimated that a combination of staffing and program changes could save roughly $800,000 to $1 million, depending on whether busing and meals are retained.
Board concerns focused on access and equity. Several trustees warned that removing transportation or meals would make slots effectively inaccessible to many low‑income families. “Taking away transportation … those are the kids that need it the most,” said a board member (Speaker 8), adding that the district’s student population has a high percentage of families on free and reduced lunch.
Staff emphasized the tradeoffs. Kayla said moving to half‑day classrooms could increase the number of children served without raising family costs—“15 kids in the morning, 15 kids in the afternoon, you’re seeing 30 kids,” she said—but would increase routing complexity and could require parents to secure mid‑day childcare. She also flagged Child Find obligations for special education: ECSE transportation and services are 100% reimbursable and must continue.
Trustees asked for more detailed, itemized numbers (staffing, the count of employees affected, last year’s food reimbursements, and current attendance data) before making any programmatic changes. Several members said early learning should be a last area for cuts given evidence of long‑term benefits and the district’s efforts to increase early identification.
Next steps: The board asked administration to return with clarified, itemized costs and the number of employees who would be affected by any shift, and agreed to treat any structural change as a last resort after other budget options are exhausted.
