Macon County Schools to increase pre-K, after school costs
After the sunset of COVID-era child care stabilization grants, Macon County Schools will have to increase costs for both Pre-K and after school care in the coming 2024-25 school year.
“We have, in the last three years, received child care stabilization grants, and those grants ran out at the end of June,” said Jennifer Love, STEM Coordinator for Macon County Schools. “Those have enabled us to raise payment for our staff.”
The North Carolina Child Care Stabilization grants, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, provided $1.3 billion for the state’s child care system over three years to help offset costs incurred by the pandemic and instigate economic recovery. Those grants expired on July 1.
While the North Carolina General Assembly partially funded the grants through December with a stopgap measure, many say the funding is too little, too late.
“We are going to be getting a little bit more money that will hopefully get us through December when hopefully there is a new budget that is going to be approved,” said Love. “The after-school world and the child care facility world, we’re very hopeful that in that legislation and in that new budget that there will be sustained funding that will help support child care facilities and after school care.”
However, because the after school and pre-K programs need to retain staff members, and the stopgap funding from the state will not cover all that is needed, both programs will be increasing rates for the coming school year.
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“Because we raised the salaries of our employees and we do not have that funding anymore, I am going to need to raise the current traits in order to serve the number of students that we anticipate to serve coming this fall,” said Love.
Rates for after school care will increase by one dollar per day from $12 to $13, or $65 for a week of care and $260 for a month of care.
Macon County Schools is not alone in having to raise child care rates. In addition to after school programs in Macon County, child care facilities around Western North Carolina will be forced to increase prices for the coming school year if not more funding help comes from the state.
“I’ve met with other after school programs here in Macon County,” said Love. “We’re all kind of on the same page as far as the cost.”
According to Love, parents are still eligible for a voucher to help pay for after school care, which they can apply for through the Department of Health and Human Services.
“So, many of our parents will be eligible for a full tuition rate or at least a partial tuition rate,” said Love.
Registration for the Macon County Schools’ after school program opens Aug. 1, so Love needed the school board to decide on a fee schedule at its July 22 meeting. All board members agreed to the increased rates.
Preschool rates will also increase in the coming school year. The board approved a staggered rise in prices at the July 22 meeting with the monthly pre-K rate increasing to $650 for the 2024-25 school year, $700 for the 2025-26 school year, and $750 for the 2026-27 school year.
“With that being said, there would still be an offer for $100 off per month for school employees to enable them to send their children to pre-K so that they can work for Macon County Schools,” Love said.
Even with the price increase for pre-K, the program will still be hard pressed to keep up with labor costs.
In the coming school year, the Macon County Schools pre-K program will earmark 50 spots for NC pre-K students — a state-funded program that allows families of a certain income level to access pre-K programs free of charge. However, these spots create another hurdle for local pre-K programs because the state only reimburses child care facilities $496 per student. The more NC pre-K spots a program permits, the harder it is to sustain the program.
“It’s been a while since we’ve done something like this,” said Board Member Hillary Wilkes. “Falling in line with inflation and the economy, it’s been a minute since we’ve raised rates and I appreciate that she staggered them to give everybody time to adjust.”
Superintendent Josh Lynch noted that pre-K facilities in other counties and school systems around the region are also having to increase prices in the coming year.
“[Brooke Keener] conducted a salary deep dive regarding what our surrounding counties are charging for pre-K and this is definitely in line and still less than what our neighboring counties are charging for their programs,” said Superintendent Josh Lynch.
The new rates will take effect beginning with the new school year.
“This is not a mandated program, this is not a school program you’re required to have, it is enormously beneficial for these kids to get into it because that jump start into school for the kids who need it is tremendously helpful,” said Board Attorney John Henning. “More than anything it is a tremendous support for the local economy because it frees up lots of people that might not otherwise be able to go and work to go do that.”
