Fort Wayne Community Schools presents preschool growth and funding squeeze in early learning update

District early learning leaders on the Fort Wayne Community Schools board agenda described steady program growth and a tightening funding picture that could constrain expansion of free, full-day preschool.

Katie Zigler, the district's manager of early learning, and Rian Fertile, an assistant director of special education, told trustees the district now operates more than 55 preschool classrooms, many of them NAEYC-accredited or American Montessori Society-affiliated, and that the programs are rated PTQ level 4 under Indiana's quality system.

"This year alone, we have 1,200 pre-K students within the district," Zigler said, adding that the district maintains long waiting lists and has space for many more children. Fertile said the special-education pre-K count on the district's December 1 count was 272 and that continuing testing and conferences have raised placements since that snapshot.

The presenters framed preschool as an early investment with measurable returns. Zigler said FWCS beginning-of-kindergarten assessments show preschool attendees score roughly 20 points higher than peers who did not attend district pre-K. She also cited research they summarized this way: "$1 invested into high quality early childhood programs gives a return of about $9."

Funding, the presenters said, is the central challenge. Zigler said the district spends "over $3,500,000 a year on preschool programming," and described a mix of funding sources: roughly $1.5 million from the education fund, about $2 million from Title I, and $250,000–$300,000 from special education grants. She said federal CCDF and the state's On My Way Pre-K voucher funding had provided roughly $500,000 in the past year but that the available state vouchers have been reduced dramatically for the current year ("it went from about 500,000 to 40,000," she said), disrupting expected enrollment and funding plans.

Board members pressed for details about wait lists, capacity and program models. Zigler said moving every half-day site to full-day would cut overall capacity in half; the district is therefore strategic about where to expand. Fertile explained how special-education transitions and placements are handled and said the district holds case conferences and placement meetings throughout the year.

Trustees and presenters discussed program quality and standards: the district uses Indiana learning standards and curriculum aligned to the Science of Reading, third-party accreditations (NAEYC and AMS) and conscious-discipline approaches. Zigler said accreditation is a five-year cycle and that the district receives some offsets from the Indiana affiliate of the NAEYC.

On policy, presenters urged advocacy: Zigler asked trustees and the public to contact state legislators about preserving or expanding preschool funding. She also invited families to a Passport to Pre-K registration event on Wednesday, March 11 at Northside High School from 5 to 7 p.m., where district staff and community partners will assist with enrollment.

The presentation did not require a board vote; trustees thanked the presenters and discussed next steps for monitoring enrollment, funding and potential program adjustments.