Kent preschools raise tuition, Portage Head Start program provides alternative schooling

Kent City Schools are raising the cost of tuition for preschools later this year. This will be a two percent increase.

Not everyone pays the same tuition for preschool in Kent. Treasurer Debbie Krutz says that there are different levels of tuition prices depending on the family’s income. Children with disabilities can attend preschool for free. This is also true for families 100 percent below the poverty level.

Krutz says that five years is a relatively long period of time to go without raising tuition.

“We’ve been able to keep costs in line,” Krutz said.

One of the main reasons costs need to be increased is because of the preschool’s door-to-door bus service. The costs of this service have gone up, so tuition needs to go up too, Krutz said.

Parents have not had much public response to this increase yet, which city officials say is uncommon when prices go up.

“There is often a backlash from parents,” Stow-Munroe Falls schools treasurer Trevor Grummere said.

Grummere has served as treasurer for several school districts and has faced this kind of backlash more than once. But Grummere said this backlash could get harsh and severe.

The raising of the price of preschool is not a statewide trend this year. Stow-Munroe Falls will not be doing so this year.

The Ravenna school system also will not be raising preschool prices either, Lori Slattery, Ravenna Preschool Coordinator, said.

Ohio preschool tuition rates vary widely across the state, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Kent, however, is at the lower end of these rates. Even with the tuition increase, the cost of Kent preschools stays relatively low.

Kent preschool prices are also at the lower end of what preschool costs nationally. Average national costs average from $4,460 to $13,158 per year, according to the Babycenter website.

Preschool is not required for students in Ohio, so there is no legal penalty if families cannot afford to send their children to preschool. So, not attending preschool may not seem like a major problem. However, not attending preschool does put students at a disadvantage, according to the Our Kids website.

Children learn basic skills in preschool like learning letters and numbers. Kindergartners are expected to know basic skills when they begin school.

Attending preschool also allows children to get used to socializing with other children. Children are generally expected to have basic social skills and know how to interact with other children when they enter kindergarten.

The adjustment to a stricter schedule can be difficult, especially for small children. Preschool gives children experience with the structure and schedule of higher levels of school, according to the Our Kids website.

Attending preschool makes it easier for children to be accepted by the grade schools that their families want them to attend, according to the Our Kids website. Not only can attending preschool determine how well children do in grade school, it can also determine where they attend grade school.

Still, although higher tuition has made preschool harder to afford for some, it has not yet caused a major backlash.

Tweet Becky: Kent preschools raise tuition prices

Tweet Erin: Portage Head Start services over 300 local children with tuition-free preschool

Responsibilties:

Erin: package, Head Start interviews, Head Start graphic, uploading our content to WordPress

Becky: print story, grade school graphic, print story phoner interviews