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Averill Park outlines CTE expansion and warns UPK funding levels make in‑house pre‑K unaffordable
Summary
Staff described plans to realign CTE to expand middle‑school feeder programs and said current state UPK funding (cited as $59.60 per slot) is insufficient for in‑house Universal Pre‑K; districts running UPK internally reportedly supplement with general funds and a $2,000 allocation would enable in‑house provision.
The Presenter said the district plans to realign secondary CTE curriculum to expand middle‑school feeder opportunities (small engine and basic construction electives) to support high‑school construction and auto‑tech programs. Presenter said those programs are well subscribed and that future capital planning includes potential expansion and equipment updates for shop and auto‑tech spaces.
On early childhood, the Presenter discussed Universal Pre‑K (UPK) and funding. Presenter said state per‑slot allocations in the current run (cited as $59.60) are insufficient for the district to operate UPK in‑house without supplementing from general fund resources. The Presenter said some districts operating UPK internally supplement state allocations from their general fund and that a funding level in the range of $2,000 per slot would make in‑house provision financially viable for Averill Park. For now, the district plans to focus available resources on K–12 due to budget constraints.
The hearing recorded the districts program priorities and constraints but did not adopt a change in program offerings at the hearing; further decisions would depend on budget outcomes and capital planning.
