Millcreek Township School District officials are walking a kind of tightrope in raising tuition for the district’s pre-kindergarten program next school year.
And so far, they seem to be balancing the need to cover program costs without pricing the program out of the market.
The new tuition — $8,226 for the 2024-25 school year, or $45.70 per day — is a 25% increase over 2023-24 prices but generally is in line with rates charged for other center-based pre-kindergarten programs in Millcreek.
And the families of 59 students so far have indicated that they will enroll them in the Millcreek Township School District program this fall, district communications coordinator LiAnna Schwerer said during a Millcreek Township School Board committee meeting on Monday.
The numbers
Millcreek Township School District’s new pre-kindergarten tuition is comparable to fees charged by other pre-kindergartens in Millcreek, according to data posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Keystone S.T.A.R.S. Keystone S.T.A.R.S. analyzes standards, training/professional development, assistance, resources and support provided by participating preschool programs.
The daily cost of other center-based pre-K programs in Millcreek ranges from $42 to $75, according to the most recent S.T.A.R.S. data. Costs don’t necessarily reflect programs’ quality ratings.
The school district’s pre-kindergarten program earned two stars of four possible in the rating.
Enrollment numbers for the school district’s 2024-25 pre-kindergarten program so far are encouraging, Schwerer said.
“We have some data (to show) that we’re already getting a pretty positive response to the changes we’ve made so far,” she said.
Thirty-six current students are eligible to continue in the district’s pre-K program next school year. The parents of 26 of those students have indicated that they will be re-enrolled. The district additionally has applications for 33 new students, Schwerer said.
The school district will need at least 108 students, or 90% of the program’s 120-student capacity, for the pre-kindergarten program to be financially sustainable. That number includes children attending tuition-free through the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program. Pre-K Counts provides a $10,000 reimbursement to the Millcreek Township School District for each income-eligible preschooler.
Marketing makeover
District officials hope to boost pre-kindergarten enrollment by promoting the program in new vibrant webpages and online materials featuring photographs of Millcreek preschoolers and teachers engaged in learning activities in literacy, math, science and other subjects.
The district additionally has reached out to current students about re-enrollment and this week will begin social media pushes promoting the pre-kindergarten. Children from outside Millcreek are welcome to enroll, though priority will be given to Millcreek children if seats are limited.
Yet to come are an April advertising campaign and additional social media pushes while seats are available.
The ABCs of change
District officials had recommended scrapping the pre-K program after this school year.
The program has been losing money and in recent years was sustained with help from COVID-19 relief funding. That funding has ended, and this year’s projected deficit is $277,000.
Steps to sustainability: Millcreek School Board raises pre-K tuition to help the program break even in 2024-25
Space is also a consideration. Pre-kindergarten uses classrooms in schools where space is limited, especially for K-5 students.
Parents pressed the district to maintain the pre-K program, and school directors and administrators agreed to continue it for at least another year, but with some changes. The district raised tuition, eliminated the part-time attendance option, and made other changes to more closely match revenues with program costs, including teacher salaries and pensions.
The January vote: Millcreek School Board unanimously defeats motion to end district preschool program
Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Tuition hike doesn’t seem to be slowing Millcreek pre-K enrollment