Translate[Archived] Question # 15: Where and when will the expanded summer learning and full-day Pre-K included in the FY 2021 proposed and how many Head Start students will benefit?
Question:
Where and when will the expanded summer learning and full-day Pre-K be offered in the FY 2021 proposed budget, and what number and percentage of Head Start students will benefit from expanded summer learning? (City Manager Jinks)
Response:
Overview:
The FY 2021 increased funding totaling $505,500 will expand capacity across four (4) early childhood providers (The Campagna Center, Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC), ALIVE!, and Creative Play School) to support school readiness and address service gaps in full-day and summer learning opportunities. Funding streams supporting the students include: Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), local funding, and private dollars. The City Manager’s FY 2021 budget funds 100% of the expanded summer learning and full-day Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) that early childhood providers felt they could implement successfully for FY 2021.
Program Locations:
Partners operate throughout the City but are increasingly focusing on classrooms and programming on the West End given the growing population of young children there. This increased funding will permit expansion of key services across the City. The West End will be a focus given child data and providers’ interest in offering services in locations convenient to families.
Head Start/Full Day Pre-K Funding:
A pilot was conducted at John Adams last year in response to the need for after school programming for Head Start and VPI students served at the Early Childhood Center at John Adams. FY 2021 Full-Day Pre-K funding will permit the pilot to continue and expand at John Adams and expand to Jefferson Houston to serve an estimated 45 Head Start students between the two sites. Total Head Start need for after school programming was calculated to be 119 families based on family profiles for the FY 2020 school year, so this funding makes significant progress on meeting that need.
In addition to the 45 Head Start students, the Full-Day Pre-K funding will also support afterschool programming for 64 VPI and at-risk students, spread across the partner providers, adding up to 109 in total. DCHS and the partner programs will coordinate on a process to ensure that the expanded funding is allocated appropriately across programs and locations, based on family need and provider capacity.
Head Start/Expanded Summer Learning:
A portion of the one-time FY 2020 additional early childhood funding enabled providers to serve 59 students. FY 2021 funding supports expansion of Summer Learning to 96 students, who will be a mix of VPI, Head Start, and Alexandria’s locally defined at-risk students. The Campagna Center will have capacity through its Early Learning Center at St. James and within its summer Campagna Kids programs for those children who are transitioning to kindergarten in the fall, 34 seats in total.
In addition to those 34 seats, this increased funding supports 62 more seats for summer learning at partner programs. Again, the following breakdown is preliminary based on provider estimates, but the 62 would potentially be spread among other partners as follows: ALIVE – 18 students; Creative Play School – 10 students; CFNC – 34 students, at locations across the City.
Number/Percentage Goal Details:
For Summer Learning, FY 2021 funding supports 96 students, which significantly expands the FY 2020 pilot that served 59 students. Over FY 2022 and FY 2023, further expansion is estimated to a total of 122 students should funding become available. For FY 2021, 96 students meet 100% of the expansion goal for the fiscal year. With funding, expansion goals through FY 2023 are projected to hit 100% of targets that reflect the capacity of current providers. This would constitute a major leap forward and profoundly change how Alexandria can deliver needed early childhood services.
For Full Day/Extended Day, FY 2021 funding supports 109 students, which is very significant as programs can now commit to families that they can access full day Pre-K. Previously programs would cobble together what they could, but family demand outstripped capacity. Expanding from 109 students for FY 2021 to 200 students in FY 2023 would achieve 55% for FY 2021 and 100% for FY 2023. But again, 109 for FY 2021 is 100% of the FY 2021 goal.
Dollars to Goal Details:
The dollar breakdown for additional investment to get to 100% for FY 2023 would be as follows:
- Summer Learning: FY 2021 funding of $211,200 supporting 96 students; FY 2023 funding of $268,400 supporting 122 students.
- Full
Day/Extended Day: FY 2021 funding of $294,300 supporting 109 students; FY 2023
funding of $540,000 supporting 200 students.