Dive Brief:
- Many New York school districts did not take advantage of the state's promise to fund universal pre-K and never submitted applications for the funding.
- This spring, New York lawmakers set aside money — $300 million for New York City and $40 million for the rest of the state — to provide families with free pre-K options.
- Many districts did not apply for funding because schools had to "forward fund" the pre-K and be reimbursed in the middle of the school year, according to Monroe County School Boards Association Executive Director Jody Siegle.
Dive Insight:
This feels like a case of poorly conceived policy. While the idea of providing universal pre-K is not only admirable but prudent, having schools forward-fund the programs seems rather unappealing. Schools are already on tight budgets and having the funds to launch a pre-school program may not be feasible — even if they know they will see the money again. Perhaps there was a way to distribute the money earlier?
Many families that live in neighborhoods where districts did not apply for funds feel frustrated. “I'm very surprised that the school district didn't apply, because I would think that they would want to make every opportunity available to the kids in their district to succeed," Rachel Nemeth, a mother of 4-year-old twins, told Rochester's WHEC. Nemeth lives in Monroe County, where only two of 17 school districts applied for funding.