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Board questions Best-in-Class preschool revenue and verification as enrollment mix shifts
Summary
Staff said the district received about $120,000 in Best-in-Class funding but capped daily tuition, reducing potential revenue; members raised concerns about families’ self-reported income, verification and how open enrollment affects program capacity and funding.
Board members reviewed the district’s Best-in-Class preschool program funding and tuition model and flagged enrollment mix and verification as concerns.
Staff said the grant-supplied family information forms drive per-child revenue and that, because the district capped daily tuition at roughly $38–$40, they collected about $128,000 this year versus a possible $149,000 if uncapped. That difference reduced revenue the district could use to cover program costs, staff said.
Board members and staff discussed how families’ reported income affects reimbursement and whether program records are audited by the grantor. The presenter said she could not confirm whether Independent auditing of family-reported income occurs and described processing requirements for state reporting of free and reduced status.
Concerns included the potential for misuse if families misreport income and the pressure on capacity when many open-enrollment applicants compete for a limited number of PreK slots; staff said the program typically seats about 31–32 children and that program funding and staffing must be balanced to avoid a net budget hit.
No policy change was adopted; staff said they will analyze the root cause of reduced tuition revenue and return with options to improve verification, enrollment prioritization and the preschool budget.
