Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten. Kindergarten readiness is a multidimensional construct reflecting young children’s preparedness for instruction in areas related to both academic and social-emotional skills. Children who arrive to kindergarten with limited readiness in one or more of these areas face challenges in the transition into the kindergarten setting, and are susceptible to academic achievement over time.
Participation in quality early childhood education can provide an important mechanism for developing children’s school readiness; likewise, certain intentional parenting practices, such as shared book-reading and numeracy discussions, also can support school readiness. However, not all children have access to quality early learning programs and/or intentional parenting practices.
Because of this, the Mayor’s Office of Education is requesting the authority to partner with Columbus Early Learning Centers (CELC), a non-profit corporation, on the Summer Success Program at the Hilltop Early Learning Center (SSHELC), an eight-week summer intensive learning readiness program focused on pre-kindergarten children without prior early childhood education experience and those who may not have sufficient supports at home for developing key kindergarten readiness skills. In addition, funding will be provided through this ordinance for important teacher and student recruitment activities for the 2024-2025 school year. The Summer readiness camp is scheduled to begin June 1, 2024.
Therefore, the Office of Education requests permission to contract with CELC to provide this crucial work.
This contract is being awarded pursuant to City Code Chapter 329, which allows for the City to negotiate not-for-profit service contracts. This organization was selected due to their existing contract with the City to serve as the master operator of the Hilltop Early Learning Center (HELC) and their experience in providing quality early learning programs. Existing city employees lack the requisite skill to provide the services needed.
Emergency Justification: Emergency legislation is required so that programming may begin by June 1, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this contract ($175,000.00) is available within the 2024 Office of Education General Fund budget.
Title
To authorize the Executive Director of the Office of Education to enter into a contract with Columbus Early Learning Centers to plan and implement the 2024 Summer Success Program at the Hilltop Early Learning Center, an eight-week summer intensive learning readiness program focused on pre-kindergarten children without prior early childhood education experience needed for developing key kindergarten readiness skills for the achievement of the Mayor’s goal that every child is ready for kindergarten; and to authorize the expenditure of $175,000.00 from the General Fund; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($175,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, participation in quality early childhood education can provide an important mechanism for developing children’s school readiness; and
WHEREAS, not all children have access to quality early childhood education and/or intentional parenting practices; and
WHEREAS, the Summer Success program assists pre-kindergarten children that have not participated in early childhood education and may not have developed key kindergarten readiness skills; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Education and Columbus Early Learning Centers seek to plan and implement the Summer Success Program at the Hilltop Early Learning Center to assist pre- kindergarten children in developing key kindergarten readiness skills; and
WHEREAS, this contract is being awarded pursuant to City Code Chapter 329, which allows for the City to negotiate not-for-profit service contracts; and
WHEREAS, funding was budgeted in the General Fund within the Office of Education’s operating budget for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in that it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education to authorize the Director to enter into contract with CELC due to the impending start of the program on June 1, 2024, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Executive Director of the Office of Education is authorized to enter into a contract with the Columbus Early Learning Centers for the planning and implementation of the Summer Success Program at the Hilltop Early Learning Center, an eight-week summer intensive learning readiness program focused on pre-kindergarten children without prior early childhood education experience needed for developing key kindergarten readiness skills.
SECTION 2. That Council finds it is in the City’s best interests to waive the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes regarding competitive bidding, and the same are hereby waived.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $175,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized to be expended from the General Fund as follows: (See attachment EXP)
Div.: 40-06 | Fund: 1000 | SubFund: 100010 | Obj. Class: 03 | Main Acct: 63050 | Program: ED001 | Amount: $175,000.00
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this legislation.
SECTION 5. That the monies in the foregoing Sections shall be paid upon order of the Director of Finance and Management, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 6. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as is necessary.
SECTION 7. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.