Free preschool programs limited to ten hours

Free preschool for 4 year olds can be found at all local school districts, as long as parents don't need it for much longer than ten hours a week.

Cedar Rapids, Linn-Mar, Marion, College, Iowa City and Clear Creek Amana schools are among the 326 districts across Iowa that provide free preschool to 4-year-old children. The programs are funded through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program passed into law in 2007. Districts receiving funds from the law must provide a minimum of ten hours a week of free schooling for children who turn 4-years-old on, or before, September 15.

Linn-Mar school district joins the program this school year for the first time. Its Little Lions preschool program previously charged tuition for all students, but now is free for 4-year-old children.

“We just found out in June and we're very excited,” Linn-Mar spokeswoman Laura Mallicoat said.

Iowa City school district preschool, which has been in the program since the law was passed in 2007, stretches out the free period to 12.5 hours a week and 2.5 hour daily sessions. There is no tuition if that is all students attend, but many families require longer sessions, according to Assistant Superintendent Becky Furlong.

“You still need to pay a fee for wraparound care,” Furlong said. “It may not seem free because it's combined with many other programs.”

The district charges a variable tuition rate to families that need care beyond the free period, as do many other districts that offer free preschool. Clear Creek Amana charges $460 a month for extended care, while Linn-Mar charges $110 a month for younger children who are not old enough for the free program.

Furlong said that there is assistance available for families that need additional care but are unable to afford it.

“We have a lot of partnerships with neighborhood centers to provide a longer day for preschoolers,” she said.

The state preschool program is a hotly-debated topic in the upcoming Iowa gubernatorial election. Governor Chet Culver points to the program as one of his administration's successes, while GOP nominee former Governor Terry Branstad has said he is in favor of eliminating the program and replacing it with private business and nonprofit partnerships.