The Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education is examining the pros and cons of a possible expansion of the district’s prekindergarten (PreK) and early childhood (EC) programs.
At its Sept. 23 meeting, board members requested a cost estimate for expanding the district’s PreK and EC offerings as part of this process.
“The money that we spend for our youngest, most at-risk learners would certainly save us money on the back end and give them better opportunities when they get to school age,” Superintendent Dana Smith said.
A link in the board documents led to an article highlighting the benefits of early childhood education.
Stressing that the estimate was very rough, Associate Superintendent Frances LaBella presented a ballpark estimate of around $20 million for constructing PreK and EC facilities. This estimate includes adding classrooms, offices and other needed spaces at Heather Hill Elementary.
Labella estimated the cost to staff the expanded program would be around $1.7 million annually. These figures do not include the cost of transporting the young children back and forth between neighborhoods and the new classrooms.
When asked if the district would qualify for additional program funding, Labella said they would likely be eligible for some PreK expansion grants. However, the cost of building the classrooms would take a significant portion of the board’s reserve fund, and the annual increases in salaries and transportation would limit the district’s ability to replenish the fund.
“If we use $20 million, you would end up with a $12-million fund balance at the end of about three to four years,” LaBella said. “That would put you at about a 25% reserve. Your current board policy is between 30% and 50%.”
Board Secretary Christina Vlietstra suggested charging parents a fee to offset some of the program’s annual costs.
The current Prek and EC program serves about 80 children who attend for half of a school day. The shortened schedules allow the district to use fewer classrooms by having some children come in the morning and then using the same room for different groups of children in the afternoon. In the past, the half-day programs have been an issue. According to the district, at least 10 children were withdrawn from the program in the last two years because the schedule didn’t work for busy parents.
The district prioritizes enrollment in the program based on need. Children deemed “at risk” through evaluations are allowed to attend. Because of the limited space and staff for the program, some families are turned away. Expanding the program would enable the district to meet the needs of more at-risk students and additional families.
Building more classrooms and facilities would allow the district to offer full-day and half-day options for the district’s families. The estimated $20-million project would expand the PreK and EC program spaces to a size suitable for around 210 students. Of those students, 70 could attend the program for the entire school day.
LaBella told the board they will have their hands full with construction projects for the next two years, including an office addition at Heather Hill and refreshing classrooms in all five District 161 schools.
“I don’t believe you’re going to be in a position to make any of those decisions right now,” she said. “My recommendation is that you pick up this conversation after you’ve received the bids for next year’s work.”
Another option not included in the plan LaBella offered was remodeling Normandy Villa School. The district must bring it up to code because they have not taught students there in many years. The district’s administrative offices and IT department are housed in this building. Part of the building still needs some asbestos abatement, and some classrooms do not have central air conditioning.
Smith said that if the board was interested, Wold Architects could be contracted to provide a bid for retrofitting Normandy Villa and bring it up to code for a fee.
In other business, the board voted in favor of the $47 million annual budget. In prior meetings, the board gave LaBella an idea of the direction for the next year.
According to board documents, the 2024-25 budget has an operating surplus of approximately $1.3 million. The board will decide how to handle the surplus in upcoming meetings.