Superintendent warns of $38,000 Early Childhood shortfall; board sets new tuition rates

Superintendent Max Torgerson told the board the district is "currently in a place where we will have a $38,000 deficit in Early Childhood next year" after Blandin funding ends following FY26. The warning was included in the superintendent and finance reports presented during the April 28 meeting.

In response to enrollment and funding concerns, the board set Early Childhood tuition for 2025–26 at $75 per month for the Honeybees class and $300 per month for the Little Bees class. The motion to set tuition rates passed unanimously. Torgerson and Principal Zac Erickson noted ongoing recruitment efforts (Pre‑K roundup) and said they would explore using Title funding or other grant sources, such as the district’s recently awarded $20,000 Lake Country Power grant for FACS, to mitigate the shortfall.

The superintendent described the challenge in funding early‑childhood programs: "in K‑12, it’s ‘butts in seats’ but in EC it’s ‘what butts are in the seats’ — we get different funding dependent on family income, Special education, and other factors." District materials listed current Early Childhood registrations (15 for a Honeybees classroom of 20; 14 for a Little Bees classroom of 14) and said the district is moving forward with the current staffing model while conducting outreach.

Board members directed administration to continue outreach and to bring additional budget models to the next meeting as the FY26 budget is finalized. The Early Childhood funding situation remains contingent on final legislative outcomes and grant availability.