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After heated debate, Winchester board approves pilot preschool tuition and sets rates
Summary
The board approved a pilot preschool tuition program after extensive debate about equity and budget pressures; administrators were directed to use Husky A/B eligibility and Care for Kids to reduce costs for eligible families and set local rates at $1,600/year (full day) and $800/year (half day) while exempting IEP placements.
The Winchester Public Schools Board of Education voted May 12 to adopt a pilot preschool tuition policy and to set preliminary local rates as the district reduces preschool classroom capacity amid budget cuts.
Board members debated for more than an hour before the vote. Supporters framed the move as a modest revenue source that could help offset position losses and preserve services — including the possibility of restoring staff if the pilot generates revenue. The administration proposed using established state supports (Husky A and Husky B eligibility tiers and the Care for Kids program) to reduce or eliminate tuition for eligible families and urged hardship and administrative pathways so the charge would not bar access for lower‑income households.
Opponents said charging tuition would threaten equitable access for the district’s most vulnerable children and could deter families who do not clearly qualify for state aid but still cannot afford monthly fees. Nora McCarthy explicitly said she would not support charging families for preschool seats that have been free for the prior 11 years.
After discussion the board voted to move forward with a tuition pilot (motion carried) and then set local rates at $1,600 per year for full‑day preschool seats and $800 per year for half‑day seats. The record indicates the district will exempt students placed in preschool through Individualized Education Program (IEP) decisions from tuition. The administration was directed to research and implement enrollment, hardship, Husky eligibility verification and Care for Kids procedures and to report back to the board with operational details.
The board and staff emphasized that this is a pilot and that administrators will monitor enrollment and equity impacts; the district also said it will explore whether federal or state reimbursements can reduce net costs for families.
