Parents learn about reconfiguration of Dayton Public Schools for next year

The district also added some seventh and eighth grade options to certain elementary schools to retain more students. Mound Street Academy will move to Jackson Center due to needed repairs at the Mound Street building.

High schools won’t change, and Stivers School for the Arts will still be 7-12.

DPS plans to charge $400 a month in tuition for preschool families. However, the district plans to work with families to fill out state paperwork to pay for preschool.

Publicly Funded Childcare is for families who are working, in school or job training, and whose income is at or below 145% of the federal poverty level. Early Childhood Education grants are available for families up to 200% of the federal poverty level, which offers a sliding scale fee for families. Families with special needs children may also be eligible for more funding.

District leaders said they plan to work with Preschool Promise to further provide tuition reimbursement.

Elementary chief of schools Judy Spurlock said the district is discussing ways to offer scholarships to families as well.

“We don’t want to deny preschool to anyone,” she said. “But first, we want to get as much money from the state as we can.”

Ohio recently changed how it pays for preschool to require families to apply for childcare directly instead of reimbursing districts that offer preschool. The new process has slowed down when funding can get to schools.

Not all the board members were in favor of the plan. Jocelyn Rhynard said she could not support a plan that she felt had not been discussed enough with parents. Jamica Garrison said she had heard from members of the community that this plan would hurt them and argued that the district should be more strategic when they expect to put a levy on the ballot in November. Will Smith said he felt hesitant about many of the proposals, including asking preschool families to pay tuition.

District staff, though, said changes were needed to make more space in northwest Dayton, which has an influx of elementary school students who are often immigrants, give more options to families and ensure that preschool is not losing the district money.

“This all started because we were looking for seats for elementary kids in the north, and now this other planning kind of evolved over time,” said Erin Dooley, chief of college and career readiness at DPS.

District staff said they also were in favor of adding more students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade at some schools as it helps principals and building staff build relationships with students.

The new reconfiguration is:

Preschool Promise can help families find options to send children to preschool and pay for it. Be Ready By Five is a website with options for people who are expecting and who have kids. Families can also call Preschool Promise at 937-329-2700.