At the Tuesday, May 10 Board of Education meeting, the Board voted unanimously to approve an increase in fees for the Office of Child Development (OCD) preschool program “Preschool Full-day” price point from $1,075 to $1,300 per month, and the “Preschool Part-day” program fee from $500 (pre-COVID) to $600 per month.
Officials say OCD’s current Preschool Full-day and Part-day fees are both priced well-below the state.
“This rate increase is necessary not only to maintain the current level of investment in OCD services but to address the program-wide budget deficit and assist in the repayment of funds to the General Fund,” officials added. “OCD recognized a significant program-wide budget deficit in 2020-21 and had to receive a loan from the district office in order to balance its budget.”
Officials noted that OCD anticipates a much smaller budget deficit for the current 2021-22 school year, but more than likely will still need some sort of fiscal aid from the district in order to balance its budget.
“We feel it is necessary to increase fees at this time in order to reimburse the district for the loan we received; to balance the budget in the future; to train, staff and develop the best teachers around; and to continue to provide the highest standard in customer service,” officials said.
