Explanation
Ordinance 1393-2015 granted the department the authority to enter into contract with vendors for Early Start Columbus for the 2015 school year. The purpose of Early Start Columbus is to expand high-quality pre-kindergarten services for four-year-olds living in the City of Columbus.
The Mayor and the Commission believe that an investment in early childhood education will prevent achievement gaps, reduce the need for special education, increase the likelihood of healthier lifestyles, lower the crime rate, and reduce overall social costs. By expanding pre-kindergarten services, Columbus children will not only improve readiness for kindergarten but will be able to accelerate learning and academic performance beyond kindergarten. Early Start Columbus focuses on all-day, year-round services with curriculum aligned with the Department of Jobs and Family Services and Ohio Department of Education early learning standards.
Through a grant process that included community meetings with vendors, hearings, and an application process, providers were funded for services. The department has been able to perform a census of those programs, and it is now necessary to align funding with the observed number of slots that vendors have been able to fill.
The attached spreadsheet (Early Start I.xlsx) lists the contracts that will be modified for the associated vendors. These contract modifications will allow the department to serve additional children with other providers through the second iteration of the 2015 program, Early Start II.
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested in order to immediately have funding in place for the Early Start II program.
Title
To authorize the Director of Education to modify contracts with the 2015-2016 Early Start Columbus providers that will align service levels with surveyed provider capacity; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Education desires to modify 2015-2016 ...
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