Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is to create access to a high-quality pre-kindergarten 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 pre-kindergarten 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 is to expand high-quality pre-kindergarten 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 pre-kindergarten education. All partnering providers have achieved at least a Silver rating in the State’s Step Up To Quality rating and improvement system. Providers were chosen from a competitive application process.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $5,950,000.00 from the 2025 Mayor’s Office of Education’s General Operating fund.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency designation is requested so that all contracts may be effective before the start of the 2025-2026 School Year.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education to enter into ESC summer programming contracts with high-quality pre-kindergarten organizations, selected via a competitive application process, to provide educational services as part of the 2025-2026 Early Start Columbus Program; to authorize the expenditure not to exceed $5,950,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($5,950,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education desires to enter into contracts with various high-quality pre-kindergarten organizations to provide educational services and quality pre-kindergarten services to Columbus 4-year-olds 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, providers were chosen via a competitive application process available to all providers in Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter to enter into contracts to meet the operational needs of the Early Start Columbus providers prior to the start of the 2025-2026 School Year, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. City Council finds that funding pre-kindergarten organizations is a proper public purpose and furthers the City's goal to provide high-quality education to qualified organizations throughout the City. The Director of the Mayor’s Office of Education is authorized to enter into contracts with the attached quality pre-kindergarten organizations, under the terms and conditions and in the amounts deemed necessary to advance the Early Start Columbus initiative. Contracts are being awarded to the attached providers. These providers were selected through a competitive application process due to their prior experience and success in providing the same services in the 2025-2026 school year and via a competitive application process.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $5,950,000.00.00 is authorized as follows (see attachment):
Dept/Div: 40-06 | Obj Class: 03 | Main Account: 63050 | Fund: 1000 | Sub-fund: 100010 | Program: ED001 | Amount: $5,950,000.00
SECTION 3. 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 ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is herby 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.