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North Adams board: preschool childcare at risk after sharp voucher cuts
Summary
Administrators told the board that steep reductions in childcare vouchers and rising personnel costs have left the district's preschool and daycare program financially strained and could require a redesign of offerings or increased fees.
Administrators for North Adams Community Schools warned the school board that drastic cuts to childcare vouchers and increasing personnel expenses threaten the district’s preschool and child-care model.
At a board meeting, the presenter said enrollment has held in the low 90s but the number of families receiving vouchers has fallen from 46 to 37 to 14 in recent years. “If we can’t get any voucher help, that childcare any longer is gonna be an option for us,” the presenter said, explaining the district received far smaller voucher amounts this year and that CCDF and related funding have been reduced.
The district’s materials showed personnel costs for the preschool and child-care program trending toward more than $300,000, while voucher reimbursements per family fell — cited in the meeting as examples like $310 per week previously dropping to about $147 per week. Administrators said the program previously offset some district costs by serving vouchered families but that reduced voucher amounts and fewer eligible families have removed that margin.
Board members and staff discussed possible responses: retaining a half-day preschool option with afternoon daycare to serve existing families; moving to a full-day model with higher parent fees; adopting a sliding-fee scale; or continuing limited half-day offerings while surveying parents to gauge demand. Staff cautioned that a full-day, break-even personnel cost would require weekly charges north of $100 per child in some scenarios.
The board agreed to collect parent-survey data and examine staffing ratios (the presenters said current staffing can accommodate typical age-based ratios) before taking formal action. Administrators also said they would pursue potential external funding options, including tri-share grant models and exploring limited infant-care supports for staff if feasible.
Next steps: staff will distribute a parent survey to gauge interest in full-day preschool versus half-day with childcare, report back with modeled fee options, and continue exploring external funding opportunities.
