Spokane co-op preschools survive funding shake-up
- Spokane Falls Community College said April 24 that all five Spokane-area parent co-op preschools will keep operating next school year despite a statewide funding formula change that cut off their usual enrollment-based support. - The five programs each serve about 15 to 60 families, and Spokane colleges said the college has already budgeted for them to function normally while it looks for a longer-term model. - The pressure comes from Washington’s August 2025 shift to funding community-college programs tied to workforce credentials, leaving parent education programs outside the formula. (krem.com)
Five Spokane-area parent co-op preschools will stay open next school year after Spokane Falls Community College committed to fund them through the coming year. (fox28spokane.com) The commitment covers five co-ops in the Spokane area, where each program serves roughly 15 to 60 families. Spokane Falls Community College told Fox 28 it has already budgeted for the schools to operate normally next year. (fox28spokane.com) The immediate threat came from a Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges funding change adopted in August 2025. Parent education programs no longer generate enrollment-based revenue unless they lead to industry-defined workforce credentials. (krem.com) (kuow.org) That change hit co-op preschools because the programs teach child development and parenting, not job training. Spokane colleges said this month that their parent education programs do not align with the new categories, so state funding will stop. (fox28spokane.com) Across Washington, the shift reaches far beyond Spokane. KREM reported that Seattle-area cooperative preschools serving more than 2,100 families were trying to raise $2 million by mid-May, while KUOW reported 4,500 families statewide are affected across 16 schools. (krem.com) (kuow.org) Spokane’s co-ops are tied to Spokane Falls Community College and Community Colleges of Spokane rather than operating as stand-alone preschool sites. The college’s parent co-op listings include Greater Spokane Manito, Mead, Northwest Parent Co-op, North of Spokane Countryside, and Newport. (ccs.spokane.edu) At Northwest Parent Co-op, teacher Laura West said the biggest change next year is the source of revenue, not classroom operations. Chair Alexandra Lappano said the college has budgeted for the program to keep functioning as normal while leaders look for a longer-term path. (fox28spokane.com) The co-op model asks parents to work alongside educators and take part in running the school. Northwest Parent Co-op says families learn about child development with support from other parents and the community-college system. (nwparentcoop.org) (kuow.org) Spokane’s reprieve does not settle the statewide funding fight. It buys one year for the five local co-ops while colleges and families try to build a model that still qualifies for support after the old formula disappears. (fox28spokane.com) (krem.com)
