Pre-k awaits funding from State of Illinois Program planned for 2009-2010; delayed start anticipated

Union County will have a pre-kindergarten program for the 2009-2010 school year.

That's the word from the superintendent of the Union County school district which administers the program.

Jonesboro School District 43 superintendent Gary Hill on Aug. 6 shared the latest information he had on the Union County pre-k program:

We are still waiting on the state to release approximately $70,000 of funding for the Union County pre-k program for the 2008-2009 school year.

During the course of last year, at times the state was more than four months behind on releasing funding for the Union County pre-k program.

It required approximately $80,000 each month to operate the program last year.

The 2009-2010 program will serve approximately 180 students in nine classrooms in the Anna, Cobden, Dongola, Jonesboro and Lick Creek school districts.

Program staff will consist of nine teachers, nine teacher assistants, one parent educator, one resource center coordinator, one secretary and one part-time director.

Pre-k funding was reduced by 10 percent (approximately $112,000) for the 2009-2010 school year.

Total amount of funding for the next year will be $1,067,012.

We have no definite date when funding will be received from the state for next year's program.

We will not begin the program until start-up funding is received. Hopefully, it will be received prior to Sept. 8 and we will be able to begin the program after Labor Day.

Once the program begins for the 2009-2010 school year, it will continue for the remainder of the school year even if the state does not provide the promised funding.

This is one of the primary reasons that the start up of the program is being delayed.

We want to make sure that the state keeps their promise and actually provides pre-k funding.

The five school districts sponsoring the program cannot afford to absorb the total cost of a $1,067,012 program (over $200,000 per school district) without a substantial amount of funding from the state.

Once additional information becomes available, it will be shared.