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Board hears how universal pre‑K funding works and how special‑education slots are budgeted
Summary
Administrators explained that universal pre‑K (PEA) funding covers general‑education preschool seats (the district’s 90 slots) while preschool special‑education students remain funded through IDEA or local special‑education lines; counts and November projections determine next year’s PEA allocation.
At the workshop, administrators walked trustees through how universal pre‑K funding (referred to in the meeting as PEA) is calculated and how it interacts with special‑education funding.
Dr. Ryder explained that PEA funding is allocated based on the number of general‑education preschool students the district reports and that special‑education preschool students are accounted for separately. "It's 15,000 per student in your preschool, but only general ed," he said, illustrating how a district could receive a per‑student PEA amount for general‑education seats while continuing to budget for IDEA‑funded preschool services separately.
Staff noted that enrollment counts taken in November feed funding projections issued in March, so the district must reconcile projections with actual enrollment. The board discussed examples where projected counts have produced either shortfalls or surpluses that were later corrected in subsequent budgets. Administrators said they would continue to try to maximize PEA allocations while ensuring legally required services for preschool special‑education students remain funded.
