The Cost of Preparing Students for Kindergarten in Southwest Florida

Prepared for Future Ready Collier Early Childhood Education Work Group in 2017

The purpose of this study was to determine the cost to ensure that three- and four-year-olds in southwest Florida are prepared for kindergarten. APA was asked to estimate the gap between existing early childhood education (ECE) funding and the costs of preparing three- and four-year-olds for kindergarten. Early childhood educators in five southwest Florida counties (Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades, and Lee counties) participated in and contributed substantially to the data collected in this study.

APA estimates that annual existing public funding is $3,720 per student for centers and $2,917 for home providers. The average annual per student costs of preparing three- and four-year olds for kindergarten in southwest Florida is estimated at $12,057 for centers and $15,784 for home providers. These estimates represent the average costs of preparing ALL students for kindergarten, including children in poverty and with special education needs.

Annually, the average per student funding is $8,337 less than the costs necessary to prepare students for kindergarten in centers, and $12,867 less than the costs in home-based preschools. These numbers indicate a significant gap between existing funding and the costs necessary to prepare students for kindergarten.