Shoreline Community College: No cuts to parent education / preschool program

Parent co-op preschool program 
Photos courtesy Shoreline Community College

By Diane Hettrick

For 50 years, Shoreline Community College has operated deeply popular and appreciated co-op preschool / parent education programs. Currently there are six locations, each run by a highly educated expert in best practices in parenting.

Parents attend with their children on a rotating basis and spend time with the parent educator while the children have supervised activities and outdoor play.

There was shock in this community when it was recently announced that the program budget would be cut in half.

The state budget deficit is expected to impact funding at education institutions and the college is looking for the least harmful places to cut their budget.

In a letter to parents, College President Jack Kahn explained, "Like many institutions, Shoreline Community College (SCC) is facing significant financial challenges. Currently, 11 critical positions remain unfilled due to budget constraints, and the State of Washington is grappling with a $12 billion shortfall that could result in further reductions to higher education funding."

After a deeper analysis of the program, they found that "While the program is not entirely budget neutral, the financial gap is much smaller than initially estimated, which is great news.

"Dean Shanon Ehmke-Reedy and our Program Directors worked collaboratively on a plan to ensure the program remains financially sustainable for the foreseeable future. 

"For the 2025-26 academic year, we will be making some operational adjustments including an intended increase to the course tuition waiver fee to $31/credit."

He did warn that future budget cuts from the state would force a re-evaluation of all programs.

And he thanked the parents for their commitment.

"We sincerely apologize for any disruption or concern this process has caused. Given the challenging financial landscape, it was important for us to conduct a thorough review and proactively anticipate potential state funding changes. 

"Fortunately, thanks to further budget research as well as input from program directors coupled with your advocacy, we have a path forward that allows the program to continue with its current course offerings and setup."