Co-op Preschools Face Funding Crisis

Seattle’s cooperative preschool system is in a race against a June deadline after a Washington state funding change put parent education programs outside the main community-college allocation model. North Seattle College and South Seattle College said in April they needed to raise $2 million to keep programs operating into the next school year, while they work on a longer-term fix. The threatened programs serve more than 2,100 families in Seattle and are part of a statewide network that KUOW reported reaches about 4,500 families. The change takes effect July 1 unless colleges secure approval for redesigned programs that qualify for enrollment funding. ### Why did the money disappear? The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges adopted a new allocation model in August 2025 that ties funding more tightly to enrollment in programs linked to credentials and workforce outcomes. Under the board’s own fact sheet, non-credit parent education programs do not qualify for enrollment funding, while professional-technical parent education credentials do. (king5.com) July 1, 2026, is the key date because that is when enrollment in non-approved parent education programs stops counting toward allocation funding, according to the state board. Colleges that want to preserve funding must submit a program approval request by June 16 and show workforce outcomes based on industry and employer needs. (sbctc.edu) Peter Lortz, vice president of instruction at North Seattle College, told KING 5 that colleges did not initially grasp that the policy would sweep in parent education. State Rep. Gerry Pollet told the station lawmakers were not told during the legislative session that the board’s internal model would eliminate the programs. (sbctc.edu) ### Which schools and families are affected in Seattle? North Seattle College operates 40 cooperative preschool classes at 11 sites across Seattle, including a program for families at Mary’s Place and a Spanish-immersion program run with Villa Comunitaria, KUOW reported. South Seattle College also runs cooperative preschool and parent education offerings that are part of the emergency fundraising drive. (king5.com) More than 2,100 families in Seattle are served by the programs at North and South Seattle Colleges, according to KING 5. Statewide, KUOW reported the parent education system is offered at 16 schools and serves about 4,500 families, including at Bellevue, Edmonds, Shoreline and Lake Washington colleges. (kuow.org) Parents in these co-ops work in classrooms alongside educators and take parent education courses for college credit. KUOW reported that the classes teach child development and parenting skills, including discipline, nutrition, sleep and play-based learning. ### Why are co-op preschools different from ordinary preschool programs? (king5.com) Washington’s parent education model dates to the 1930s, and KING 5 reported the community-college version has operated in the state system since 1947. In the model, preschools function as lab schools where children attend class and parents participate in the classroom while also enrolling in parent education. (kuow.org) That structure kept tuition relatively low because state enrollment funding covered much of the cost. KUOW reported that North Seattle College had long waived tuition charges to keep the program affordable, but the funding change will prevent that approach from continuing in the same way. ### How much money are advocates trying to raise? (kuow.org) North and South Seattle Colleges asked families to help raise $2 million by mid-May to keep the programs going for one more year, KING 5 reported on April 4. Seattle’s Child reported that more than 300 people attended an early-April launch for the “It Takes a Village” campaign and that the drive had raised more than $34,000 as of April 14. (kuow.org) The fundraising push is described by advocates as a bridge, not a permanent repair. Seattle’s Child reported that supporters want the money to buy time while colleges pursue credential approval and lawmakers consider a longer-term solution. ### What happens next? June 16, 2026, is the next formal deadline because that is when colleges must file program approval requests with the state board if they want redesigned parent education programs considered for funding eligibility. (king5.com) July 1 is the date the new funding treatment begins for programs that do not win approval. (seattleschild.com) The immediate public campaign is continuing through college foundations, parent groups and local events. Seattle-area advocates have also been pressing the state board and elected officials, with rallies and public comments aimed at preserving the programs while the approval process plays out. (sites.google.com) (sbctc.edu)