Shelby County commissioners lived up to their end of the bargain Monday, unanimously approving a joint ordinance with the City of Memphis to expand pre-K schooling to include all 3 year olds regardless of income.
Currently, public pre-K programming in the county is only offered to 4 year olds.
It was the third and final reading of the ordinance. Members voted to suspend the rules to avoid a fourth vote. The measure required a nine-vote majority to pass and cleared the hurdle with an 11-0 vote.
A similar proposal is awaiting a second vote by the Memphis City Council. Before a final vote, the council’s version will also need to be amended. Commissioners also agreed to expand the ordinance’s goal to include 100% of all eligible children.
Commissioner Britney Thornton offered the amendment. The former Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher said she wanted to align the program’s expectations with those of the school system.
“I taught for seven years. It would never be OK for me to have 90% goals in my classroom,” Thornton said. “It was always taught to me and enforced by the administrations that I worked under to have 100% goals.”
Commissioner Charlie Caswell Jr., chair of the Education Committee, objected. He cited a previous discussion that included exceptions such as children who are homeschooled or have special needs, as well as families who choose to delay their child’s enrollment.
He also expressed concern about “setting the program up to fail” by creating an unreasonably high bar that can’t be mathematically reached, potentially leading future bodies to view the program as unsuccessful.
Kandace Thomas, PhD, executive director of First 8 Memphis, which implements the county’s public pre-K efforts, agreed with Caswell’s concerns.
“There are many, many factors that go into what makes a child ready for kindergarten and ready for that type of learning,” Thomas said. “So amending things beyond what happens in a classroom — including family and environment and access to food — there are many things that contribute, or not, to whether a child is ready to learn.”
Thornton pushed back.
“When you’re using language that we’re going to serve all children, 90% does not cast a vision for all children,” she said. “That’s all this is. A goal. It doesn’t guarantee, or stipulate, or require that you have a performance at 90%, or even 100%. It’s a goal. So why can’t we have an all-encompassing goal?”
The majority of commissioners were swayed by her argument, approving the amendment with a 7-1 vote. Voting in favor were Commissioners Erika Sugarmon, Amber Mills, Edmund Ford Jr., Mickell Lowery, Michael Whaley, David Bradford and Thornton. Caswell voted no.
The current contract with First 8 Memphis expires in June. During negotiations for a new contract, the nonprofit will seek an additional $1.5 million to fund expanded programming.
Thornton dismissed concerns that the amendment could delay the process. She suggested the Memphis City Council could also suspend the rules to avoid a fourth vote.
First 8 Memphis serves as the program’s fiscal agent. In addition to financing day-to-day operations, the nonprofit can seek loans and grants from federal, state and local agencies, as well as from other public and private sources.
Beyond Memphis, other Shelby County communities that benefit from First 8 Memphis programming include Bartlett and Millington. Millington currently serves 150 students in its pre-K program, with another 60 on a waiting list. A larger facility, scheduled to open in the fall, will accommodate up to 300 students.
“We are opening up the very first public learning academy in North Shelby County this fall. And it was because of the effort of First 8 to help us meet those gaps that the state does not meet for our pre-K students,” said Millington Schools Superintendent James Griffin.
Griffin praised the program’s curriculum, which incorporates science and reading.
“If I told you I could give you a 7% return on your investment right now, would you take it? I think you would,” he said. “We have led all of Shelby County in literacy growth for third graders since we became a part of First 8.”
Other school districts across the county may also be included in the expanded program, especially if the City Council adopts the commission’s 100% goal.
“We are hoping to see Collierville, Lakeland and Germantown be a part of our efforts as we grow,” Thomas said.
