South Bend Community School Corporation faces Pre-K cuts

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Thousands of students across South Bend headed back to the classroom Wednesday morning for the first day of school, but the return comes with new challenges caused by significant state funding cuts.

South Bend Community School Corporation Superintendent Mansour Eid says the district is already feeling the effects among its youngest learners.

In an interview ahead of the new school year, Eid told ABC57 that plans to expand the district’s Pre-K offerings have been setback due to recent changes to Indiana’s early childhood education funding.

Back in March, SBCSC announced plans to more than double the number of Pre-K classes growing from nine to 19 classrooms across 14 elementary schools. The expansion was made possible in part by Indiana's "On My Way Pre-K" voucher program, which helps families cover the cost of early childhood education.

However, this school year, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration reduced the number of available Pre-K vouchers statewide from over 6,000 to just 2,500. The state also imposed stricter income requirements, disqualifying many families who had previously received support.

As a result, several of the originally planned Pre-K classrooms won’t open this year. At least two schools, Darden and Monroe Elementary, were removed from the district’s original expansion list due to the cuts.

“We had plans on expanding our Pre-K program,” Eid said. “We had plans to put four new Pre-K classes at McKinley. Best laid plans of mice and men. We have to go back to the drawing board and maybe add one or two here or there, and that’s simply based on funding,” he added.

Earlier this month, the board voted to lower the kindergarten age requirement. Children who turn five by Oct. 1 instead of the previous Aug. 1 cutoff are now eligible to start school this year if their parents choose.

ABC57 reached out to SBCSC for further details on the changes but has not yet received a response.