Partnership with YMCA, school district approved

Partnering with the local YMCA for the shared purpose of providing high-quality preschool curriculum to students who will eventually enter the Newton school district as kindergartners is the “first step” in gaining consistency and making sure kids are coming in at the same place, superintendent Tom Messinger said.

“This would offer the same curriculum at the two sites, (the school district and Newton YMCA),” Messinger told school board members. “It allows us to share resources, allows the YMCA to have a preschool teacher that’s not out there on an island all by themselves without collaboration of other staff members.”

Newton News reported on the current and potential partnerships the school district and YMCA had been working toward this past year. In addition to sharing the district’s preschool curriculum, the YMCA is also working towards providing sports activities for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

The YMCA also formed a partnership with Newton schools to launch before- and after-school programs for students this upcoming fall. Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Emerson Hough Elementary will serve as the primary sites for the new child care services hosted by the YMCA.

Messinger said both entities benefit from the partnership.

“(It) strengthens what we are able to do within Newton Community School District, but I always believe that it’s a thing that could help out the YMCA, as well, because we’re also going to be supporting their preschool program also,” Messinger said.

On June 14, the Newton Community School District Board of Education unanimously approved the 28E Agreement with the YMCA to share the school’s preschool curriculum and offset the costs of hiring a new teacher. Newton schools would pay 70 percent of the costs while YMCA pays 30 percent.

With 24 students enrolled in the YMCA preschool, NCSD Director of Business Services Tim Bloom estimated it would cost $86,724. The YMCA would pay $26,017 for its portion; the school district would pay $60,706 for its portion.

“That’s what we’re estimating right now, but until Oct. 1 comes and the enrollmentcomes to date we won’t have those final numbers until that time — when we certify our enrollment with the state as well,” Bloom said.

Newton YMCA CEO Lucas Hughes said the longtime wellness center is a community leader and has more than 3,000 members and 8,000 participants on a given year. When the YMCA promotes the Newton Community School District, it’s going to be heard, he said.

“Whenever we have that curriculum within our preschool it’s only going to flourish and let the Newton Community School District have a little bit of that market,” Hughes said. “We’re looking forward to it. It’s just one of those things where we sat down together and said, ‘How can we do a win-win-win’ situation?’

“This is going to be a win for the children learning how to transition to the school district pretty smoothly. It’s going to be a win for the YMCA with our wrap around care with the voluntary school program. And it’s going to be win for you guys because you’re going to get 24 or more additional children to serve.”

Messinger clarified some misconceptions about the partnership, which some have suggested is the reason the district is going to be having fewer teachers teaching preschool in Newton schools. While they come about at the same time, he said, they are “unrelated.”

“YMCA already has students signed up for their preschool program,” he said. “Those students were going to sign up for the preschool program at the YMCA regardless of whether we provided a teacher or they provided a teacher and kept doing it completely on their own.”

The reduction in the number of teachers for the district’s preschool programs follows an overall trend over the past several years, Messinger added. Those numbers have continued to decline, but if they go back then more staff will be added. Newton schools also is bound to a certain deadline to notify teachers.

“Our main priority was to handle things through attrition because of a couple things,” Messinger said. “We don’t know what exactly is going to happen with enrollment and school after COVID has moved past. Also, we want to make sure that our decline in enrollment last year was a true decline.”

As opposed to a “false decline” caused by the pandemic.

“We will still have three preschool teachers on-site at (Thomas Jefferson Elementary) and currently we are still holding as a priority operating at about 75 percent capacity or below, by the state standards,” Messinger said. “We are still only at roughly two-thirds capacity for that level that we have here.”

Thomas Jefferson Elementary still has room before needing to hire another teacher, but if it gets to that point, he added, it will become a “high priority.” The elementary school has set its capacity at 15, which is still considered in some areas to be an increase in class size. The state sets the limit at 20.

“We are dangerously close to getting to the point where we’re going to exceed our spending authority,” Messinger said. “Preschool is an area that we’re bringing in far less revenue than what we are paying out … It’s not us saying preschool’s not important.”

Messinger encouraged people to contact their legislators, noting cost per pupil for preschool students is half that of a primary or secondary school student. That’s part of the reason why some school districts host half-day preschool rather than full-day, he said.

According to school documents, state reimbursement is 50 percent of the state cost per pupil of $7,227, which means $3,613 per preschool student.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com