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Commissioner urges restoring prior Pre‑K funding; county attorneys and fiscal agent to return with details
Summary
Commissioner Michael Whaley proposed restoring $1.4 million to preserve current Pre‑K classroom capacity. Commissioners and county attorneys discussed an expanded ordinance and a fiscal‑agent professional services agreement that constrains county funding; the committee asked the program fiscal agent and administration for contract and participation details at the next meeting.
Commissioner Michael Whaley sponsored an amendment to restore funding for the county's Pre‑K program to maintain current classroom levels, proposing up to $1.4 million to close a gap created when previous ad hoc additions were not included in the mayor's proposed budget.
Whaley said the amendment would preserve the level of Pre‑K funding enacted by prior commission action and that unspent funds from earlier fiscal years had been identified and used to reduce the new ask by about $600,000. County Attorney Megan Smith explained that last year's ordinance expanded program eligibility, increasing the pool of children who may be eligible; she cautioned that increased eligibility does not necessarily translate to immediate enrollment changes without the fiscal agent's operational data.
Commissioners asked for First8 (the fiscal agent / program operator) and Director Thomas to appear at the next committee meeting to explain fiscal‑agent agreements, enrollment counts and the professional services agreement (PSA) language that limits county funding relative to city contributions. Audrey Tipton clarified that the administration left the one‑time amendment out of the proposed FY27 baseline and that the county will consider restoring funding if the committee so chooses, but legal/contractual limits tied to the PSA may require coordination with the city or amendments to the PSA.
Commissioner Thornton urged the commission to "stay on track" toward universal Pre‑K and requested the fiscal agent and mayoral administration appear with contract and participation figures. The item was referred to the June 10 meeting where First8 and legal staff are expected to provide detailed enrollment, contract and fiscal agent information.
Next steps: fiscal agent and county administration to present participation counts, contractual constraints and options for sustaining or increasing Pre‑K funding at the June 10 committee meeting; no vote was taken today.
