TOLEDO, Ohio — We're one step closer to universal pre-Kindergarten in Toledo. Leaders now know it would cost $7 million to provide education to all four-year-old children in the city of Toledo. While their initial report answers some questions, we still don't know exactly how the program would be funded.
Universal pre-K used to be just a thought, but now a group of community leaders are seven months into making it a reality for the city of Toledo.
"Toledo school children face some real challenges,” Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. “We are the only big city in Ohio that does not provide universal access to pre-k for four-year-olds and as a result, we have 81% of children, school children, in Toledo who on the first day of kindergarten show up unprepared."
A consultant working with the city of Toledo, Toledo Public Schools, Washington Local School District, Toledo Community Foundation, ProMedica and the United Way of Greater Toledo released a report outlining what it would take to get universal pre-k for Toledo's 4,000 four-year-olds.
The recommendation costs $7 million with two million coming from the private sector and five million from a city ballot initiative. Kapszukiewicz said that's one option, but they are looking at several. Truth is, they don't know the true cost structure yet.
"We don't know all the pieces,” Kapszukiewicz said. “We still don't know if the public is going to have to play a role and if it does how large that role will be and that will get worked out in several weeks and months."
While the committee is still meeting to work out the details, community members weighed in on the program.
"It also sets them on the right path where they will have a better understanding of where they need to go,” said Sarah Green of Toledo. “And then they can apply at higher curriculum."
"I think we can keep throwing money at the problem, but I don't feel that it's going to take care of the actual program itself,” Cliff Funka of Toledo said. “I think it comes down to the parents. Are the parents motivating, getting their kids educated?"
Some said they don't mind helping to fund the program while others want to see hard proof of what the program will do if it moves forward. That's something the committee is still working out, but their report details an implementation date of September of 2020.
The mayor said while it’s taken us a while, he's proud that Toledo is the first community to have help from the private sector not forcing the public to foot the entire bill. He believes this is great progress for our city.
"This is going to mean a better educated Toledo,” Kapszukiewicz said. “A better educated Toledo is going to be a stronger Toledo and this is an exciting first step."
The mayor said they will continue to work and fine-tune their plans for universal pre-K. He also believes they will have more news in a couple of weeks about how the city can make this a reality.
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