MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The city of Memphis is committing $6 million to an expansion of pre-kindergarten.
Mayor Jim Strickland announced the plan for the recurring funds in a Saturday morning announcement. The Commercial Appeal reports his plan will go before the city council on Tuesday
The city will divert $1.2 million in revenue, the equivalent of 1 cent, from its current tax rate. The rest of the money will be phased in from other expiring financial incentives for a total of $6 million by 2022. No taxes will increase to support the plan.
“It’s a creative solution that doesn’t touch what we’re doing now with our operating budget,” Strickland said.
The city’s plan would chip away at a significant chunk of the $16 million needed to fully fund needs-based pre-k in Shelby County.
Shelby County Schools offers about 7,000 pre-kindergarten seats. To have enough seats for every child in need would require about 8,500 seats. But a major federal grant is expiring after next year. The city’s funding would make up the difference and add some seats, but will still leave a gap.
Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said the district has doubled the number of available pre-K seats since Memphis City Schools merged with the county district in 2013.
Hopson said the need for pre-kindergarten is great considering nearly half of the district’s students live in poverty. They too often show up to kindergarten not knowing their letters, colors or sounds
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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com
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