Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is to create access to a high-quality prekindergarten education for every 4-year-old. Addressing early childhood learning means bringing awareness and resources to a critical learning stage in childhood development. Children who come to school ready to learn are more likely to succeed academically and in life.
Children who participate in high-quality prekindergarten experiences significantly improve their early literacy, language, and math skills. Ample evidence shows that children who enter school unprepared fall farther and farther behind. Students who get a poor start in their earliest years are likely to struggle in high school and subsequently, fail to graduate.
The purpose of Early Start Columbus (ESC) is to expand high-quality prekindergarten services through partnerships with Columbus City Schools and community-based providers. The providers partnering in the Early Start Columbus program have all demonstrated their ability to provide a high-quality prekindergarten education. All partnering providers are rated at least three stars in the State’s Step Up To Quality rating and improvement system.
State law makes allowable the braiding of Ohio Department of Education Early Childhood Expansion funds with those of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Service Publicly Funded Childcare program. The 2024 Early Start Columbus Summer program combines Office of Education funds with these funding streams to further extend the number of children served while using City funds more efficiently. This approach uses City funds as “last dollar” funding.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $974,250.00 from the general fund.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Office of Education to enter into 2024 ESC summer programming contracts with high-quality prekindergarten organizations that provide high-quality educational services; to authorize the appropriation of $800,000.00 from the Job Growth subfund; to authorize the expenditure of $974,250.00 from the General Fund; and to waive competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes. ($974,250.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of Education desires to enter into 2024 ESC summer programming contracts with high-quality prekindergarten organizations that provide high-quality educational services to Columbus children to prepare them for kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, research shows that quality pre-kindergarten instruction provides meaningful value to children’s educational performance and preparation for school; and
WHEREAS, the goal is that all children in City of Columbus will be kindergarten ready; and
WHEREAS, funding was budgeted in the general fund within the Office of Education’s operating budget for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, additional funding was provided from Columbus City Council; and
WHEREAS, this program constitutes a continuation of 2023-2024 school year programming, and the same providers are participating; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education to authorize the Director to enter into summer programming contracts; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Office of Education be and is hereby authorized to enter into 2024 ESC summer programming contracts with high-quality prekindergarten organizations that provide high-quality educational services in the amounts deemed necessary to continue to advance the Early Start Columbus initiative.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $800,000.00 in the Job Growth subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100015, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of up to $974,250.00, is hereby authorized in the general fund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes, Chapter 329, to award these contracts.
SECTION 5. 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 necessary.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.