The Allen County literacy and fine arts preschool proposed earlier this month will have to wait.
Citing financial concerns, the Iola school board Monday night delayed action on the prospective early childhood development project.
“Everybody understands the need for early childhood education but being the fiscal agent puts a little different perspective on things,” said Tony Leavitt, USD 257 board president.
The board announced it wouldn’t be making a decision after about an hour-long presentation by Beth Toland, Allen Community College Early Childhood Development coordinator and a front-line player in the literacy and fine arts preschool project.
The projected expense figures Toland brought to the board differed from those USD 257 members saw at the March 12 meeting.
Originally presented as a one-year, $184,000 grant, the board was concerned about financial risks in year two and beyond. In an attempt to ease concerns, Toland and project developers expanded the grant proposal to cover two years for $271,000, guaranteeing USD 257 wouldn’t see costs hemorrhage in the second year of the project.
The adjustment resulted in a reduction in expenses USD 257 could expect to incur — $4,035 year one and $30,871 year two — if it eventually approves the project.
Toland said although USD 257’s second-year expenses for the project “sound high,” those costs would be offset through student tuition. With plans for the project to enroll 80 three- and four-year-olds and the expectation that the Downing Foundation will pay for at-risk kids to attend, the board was presented three scenarios: Housing 60 percent at-risk students and collecting tuition for the other 40 percent would recoup $27,248; a split group $34,560; and 40 percent at-risk student and the other 60 percent tuition-paying students $41,472.
“Every child is not charged equally,” Toland said. At-risk students are non-English speaking, low-income or academically and socially disadvantaged.
Looking beyond the two-year Downing grant, the preschool, school board and other contributing agencies — the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, The Friends of the Bowlus and Allen Community College — would need to pursue other funding sources.
“The grant moving forward is not going to cover the (at-risk) part of the tuition, we’re going to end up covering that part of the tuition after year two,” Leavitt said.
Now in draft form, the memorandum of understanding allows the school district and others to opt out and essentially close the preschool if no additional funds could be found.
“You have a way out,” Toland said. “It can become null and void.”
Because the Downing Foundation invited Toland and USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Brian Pekarek to submit a letter of inquiry, the school district, which would act as the fiscal agent for the project, is not working on deadline.
But, Toland said, if the board waits too long “they’ll lose interest.”
