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Pre-k problems perplex providers, parents

Florida’s pre-k program, mandated by voters to be a high quality educational experience, is shaping up to be a huge state subsidy to religious day care centers.

The rules enacted by the legislature are written in such a way as to prevent most or all public school systems from participating in the school year portion of pre-k, and the miserly per-child allowances that the state is offering may not be enough to entice any secular organizations to take part.

For now, confusion reigns, as parents and prospective providers scramble to figure out the rules and try to enroll kids in programs that don’t actually exist.

Susan Morris expected to discuss the state's new prekindergarten program Thursday with about a dozen preschool directors.

But more than 130 people showed up to hear the Hillsborough school district's pre-k expert provide details about the program, which debuts in August. The vast majority arrived undecided about whether to participate.

Many left feeling the same way.

"It's nice to come here, but (there is) still nothing for us to follow," said Janeen Stokes, a board member for Gabrielle's Glen preschool in Temple Terrace. "We're still uninformed."

Morris said at the beginning of her talk that she did not have answers to many of the questions concerning rules and requirements. She told them her briefing was accurate "as of 10:30 a.m. Feb. 3."

"I can tell you, by the hour things are changing," Morris said.

That did not reassure officials at the private schools and care centers, which already are enrolling 4-year-olds for the fall. Many directors said they would like to offer the state program, if only to ease the financial burden on families who already attend.

But their comments and questions indicated a reluctance to commit to the three-hour daily program without having more information about particulars, including state funding and the role religion will play in the curriculum.

"We basically want to know what the criteria are, what the restrictions are, what expectations we have to meet," said Julie Perez, director of A Child's World Learning Academy on Sligh Avenue.

Directors of several of the private, for-profit centers worry the state will not cover the true cost of educating students. Gov. Bush has recommended spending $2,500 per child, minus 5 percent for regional program administration.

They asked if they could turn away students whose families do not want to attend before- and after-school programs, where many of the centers expect to make up the difference. The law states that schools may not charge parents for the 540-hour program, but allows them to charge for services that wrap around the instruction time.

Morris said she expected this issue to be a major challenge for many of the centers that the state is counting on to provide space. But she did not know the answer and encouraged those with concerns to check with the state bureaucrats charged with interpreting the law.

An Agency for Workforce Innovation spokesman said the law does not allow schools to require children to enroll for other services to be eligible for prekindergarten.

Faith-based providers, meanwhile, wanted assurances that they would not have to excise their beliefs from their teachings.

"We want to make sure there are no restrictions," said Lynette O'Neal, director of Crossroads Baptist Church Daycare Center in Lithia, where parents are inquiring about the availability of state pre-k.

So, it looks like we may be creating a separate and very unequal system whereby wealthier families will essentially have their daycare costs subsidized by the state while the poor are either turned away or forced to enroll their kids into religious indoctrination classes.