The goal of having free preschool for all is supposed to be hit by 2030, but an audit found that the county needs to expand its capacity for that to happen.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. — It’s been almost five years since Multnomah County voters passed “Preschool for All” — a program that is eventually supposed to guarantee a free preschool spot for all 3-year-olds in the county — but a county audit says they’ve been slow to meet their goals so far.
The audit comes after the county touted the program’s growth, announcing that 3,800 children will be served through the free education initiative in the next school year.
The goal of having free preschool for all is supposed to happen by 2030. However, the Multnomah County auditor shows that the county needs to expand its capacity in order to meet the need.
For instance, at the start of this school year last fall, there were about 2,000 Preschool for All seats available, spread out in 133 sites across the county — in schools, day care centers and in-home preschools. But they’re going to need 11,000 seats by 2030 to ensure that every toddler has a spot.
The auditors found that the county is going to need to take some steps to address significant barriers that might keep it from adding those 9,000 more seats over the next five years.
In addition, they said, the county needs to communicate better with the public about how the program is going, because the program is funded by a tax on high income-earners — one that’s going to go up in 2027.
Residents are feeling some fatigue about the amount of taxes they’re paying in Multnomah County, with Willamette Week reporting that some of the city’s wealthiest men are chatting about working on a ballot measure that would repeal the tax, as well as funding a poll to see how people feel about it. Thus, even though the majority of people in Multnomah County don’t meet that income limit and don’t pay the tax, the stakes are high for Preschool for All and its public perception.
There’s confusion about the program’s goals and when they should be met, as well as which kids get priority for seats and which ones miss out, how many hours of school the kids get, and concern about why the program has underspent its budget.
The audit found that Preschool for All is collecting far more money than it’s been spending every year for the last three years, about $300 million more altogether. To a degree, that was by design; the county economist and program staff expected early years to be less expensive than later years, and they don’t want the program to run out of money.
But the auditors are recommending that the county adjust budgets and the forecast to better reflect actual spending.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said that the Preschool and Early Learning Division is aware of the issue and they’ve made it a priority to adjust their budget, writing:
“Budgeting for a new initiative involves many unknowns. PEL underestimated the amount of planning and capacity building needed to develop and implement new services and contracts.
“At the same time, we have also worked hard to be thoughtful stewards of Preschool for All dollars. PFA forecasting is updated on a yearly basis and any unspent funds incorporated into future planning.”