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 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 2018-2019 Early Start Columbus Program combines Education Department 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 $3,548,493.75 from the 2018 Department of Education’s General Fund operating budget. A transfer of funds is required from the city-wide account for this expense.
EMERGENCY DESIGNTION: Emergency designation is requested to ensure the contracts are enacted before school commences.
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