Aberdeen Mom Struggles with Increased Tuition at Cambridge Park Preschool

Lisa Currier, an Aberdeen resident, does not know where she will send her four-year-old son for preschool this year, or if she will be able to send him at all.

Reagan Currier, 4, attended Cambridge Park Preschool for free during the 2010-11 academic year because he had a speech impediment that made it difficult for him to speak clearly. Halfway through the 2011-12 year, Currier explained, her son was declassified and removed from the special education program at Cambridge Park.

"He had early intervention through the state," Currier said. "They declassified him because they say his speech now is on a four-year-old level. But he still has issues with certain letter sounds and he is difficult to understand at times."

Currier's son qualified to attend for free because, by state law, a school district must provide preschool education for children with special needs and disabilities. She says she was told by her case manager that Reagan would be able to continue his preschool education free of charge during the 2012-13 year, even though he was no longer classified. Currier secured a private speech therapist for her son and planned to enroll him at Cambridge Park for 2012-13.

However, on for regular education students at Cambridge Park Preschool in order to help cover the $378,233 short fall in funding the program sees each year. Currier called her case manager after reading an article about the increase on Patch, and was told that there was no longer a free option and she would have to pay full price.

Previously, there were three tiers of tuition. Full tuition was set at $3,000, reduced tuition was set at $600, and free tuition was offered to those who demonstrated financial need.

At the March meeting, the board voted to increase tuition by $500 and eliminate the free option altogether, creating two tiers of tuition. Full tuition for the 2012-13 year is now $3,500 and reduced tuition is $1,100.

In comparison to the current student enrollment, the district would receive an additional $70,500 in tuition revenue that would help support the program. Superintendent David Healy explained that there is no state or federal mandate that requires a district to have a preschool for regular needs children. Also, funding from the state and federal government in no longer available, he said.

Healy said the increased tuition is still below what other preschools charge, especially since it includes transportation.

"Even with the increase, it's still very reasonable," Healy said, noting that he has not heard any complaints from parents.

Reagan's situation is unique, so rather than Currier seeing a $500 increase or an $1,100 increase, she would go from paying $0 for preschool to $3,500. The timing has also been a challenge because most preschools have already held their enrollment period, Currier said.

"For some of the preschools that go all day, to 5 p.m., you pay maybe $3,060. That's from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. That's aftercare also. For them to go 5 days a week for 2 and a half hours, it's a little much," Currier said.

"I just wish someone would have said something. A lot of them (private preschools), they start their enrollment at the end of January. Now that we had to wait to get all the information, it's a waiting list situation."

She recently told her son that he would not be attending Cambridge Park in September.

"He was pretty sad. He's gotten so attached to some of these kids. I always thought it would be a great thing that he would go to that preschool and he would get to know the kids (in the district) and they would move up together," Currier said.

Currier is grateful for the education and speech therapy her son received at Cambridge Park, but she is frustrated to have the tuition increase occur at short notice.

"It's been a great school and they gave my son his voice. They really helped him a lot. Now I just feel like it's an ultimatum. He needs to go to school. He needs that. They wait until now and it's like, what do you do? Do you fork over $3,500? Not everyone can afford that much," Currier said.

Despite her frustration, she noted that at least she has some options. She will most likely keep her son at home with her until next year, when he will be old enough to make the cut-off for kindergarten. 

At the , Board Member Patricia Phillips expressed concern for low-income families who previously qualified for free tuition because of their financial situation.

"I can't see a person getting a better education for $1,100 than what they are getting here, so I can't see people running away from that, except for the extremely poor people where that $1,100 may take food out of their house," Phillips said.

The decision to increase tuition at the preschool came down to whether or not the district should continue to lose money to fund a program that the district is not required to supply. Over the next year, the board will decide whether or not to cut the regular needs program entirely.

Registration for Matawan and Aberdeen residents for Cambridge Park Preschool will take place between April 16 and April 27. A lottery drawing of applications will take place at the April 30 Board of Education meeting.