Business and community coalition outlines plan to 'supercharge' Pima County preschool scholarships
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Summary
Business and nonprofit leaders described efforts to raise private funds and coordinate county partnerships to expand Pima Early Education Program Scholarships (PEAPS), proposing near-term and multi-year fundraising targets and working groups to support outreach and data.
Leaders from the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Chamber of Southern Arizona and Preschool Promise urged the Board of Supervisors to support Supercharged PEAPS, a public‑private campaign to expand the Pima Early Education Program Scholarships (PEAPS).
Kristi Street, representing the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, said the initiative frames affordable early childhood education as economic infrastructure and urged private-sector participation to help scale the program.
"Quality, affordable early childhood education is not just a social priority, it is economic infrastructure," Street said, describing how childcare shortages drive workforce instability for local employers.
Michael Guymon of the Chamber of Southern Arizona said the campaign’s working groups aim to raise $1 million in the coming year, $10 million in three years, and pursue larger national fundraising goals over time.
Nicole Scott, who manages PEAPS for Pima County, told the board county staff will accept philanthropic dollars and provide program data to support fund‑raising and program expansion.
Why it matters: Expanding PEAPS would reduce barriers to work for parents and address workforce retention issues linked to childcare costs. Supervisors discussed coordination with the library district funding and connecting private donations to existing county operations.
What’s next: Staff and the campaign’s working groups will continue drafting materials, pursue donor commitments, and report back to the board on progress and possible memoranda of understanding to manage philanthropic receipts.