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Superintendent says cuts to transitional kindergarten funding will shrink TK slots nearly in half
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Maloney told the Evergreen board that state funding for transitional kindergarten (TK) slots will drop from 82.6 FTE to 43.76 FTE next year (a reported reduction of 38.84 slots), forcing the district to lose funding for four of seven TK classrooms; she said she is working to keep one classroom open and described staffing and equity-department realignments as part of budget reductions.
Dr. Maloney told the board the district received notice over spring break that state funding for transitional kindergarten (TK) will drop from 82.6 FTE slots to 43.76 FTE next year, a reduction she described as approximately 38.84 slots (about 47% of current funded slots). She said four of the district's seven current TK classrooms will lose funding, though she is seeking ways to keep one classroom open for next year.
"TK is incredibly impactful for our students," Dr. Maloney said, citing district data and a presentation by early-learning program coordinator Galen Mills that shows the program improves kindergarten readiness and long-term outcomes, especially for vulnerable and low-income learners.
Dr. Maloney also described staffing adjustments in the teaching, learning and equity department amid year-one budget reductions of a three-year plan. Following the resignation of the director of student equity and family engagement, the district repurposed roles and hired an equity specialist to work directly with principals; an open social-emotional learning specialist position will be repurposed as a discipline equity specialist.
The superintendent framed the changes as an effort to prioritize direct, school-based support and to align limited resources to areas of greatest impact in classrooms.
