Sly James’ pre-K tax plan faces more skepticism — from most KC mayoral candidates

Mayor Sly James’ proposal to fund universal pre-K in Kansas City with a sales tax increase is drawing scant support from the nine candidates vying to succeed him in 2019.

Only two, Councilwoman Jolie Justus and Crossroads businessman Phil Glynn, told an audience at Visitation Parish in Midtown Monday evening that they were prepared to vote for the plan in its current form.

The other seven — Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner, Councilmen Scott Taylor, Jermaine Reed and Quinton Lucas, Councilwoman Alissia Canady, construction attorney Steve Miller and community activist Rita Berry — said they believed in the importance of early childhood education but that the use of sales tax dollars and the opposition of the city’s school superintendents posed serious problems.

“This to me is the classic square peg in a round hole,” said Wagner, who favored pressing state lawmakers for the money.

Glynn agreed that the plan wasn’t perfect, but said too many children of color are falling behind their white peers to wait any longer.

“Yes, it is a square peg in a round hole,” said Glynn. “But it’s an opportunity to do what we’ve failed to do for so long in this community, which is to make our children a real priority. And start investing in them today.”

Only an estimated 35 percent of the city’s 4- and 5-year-olds are in high-quality pre-K programs. Most research shows that good early childhood education can improve the long-term prospects of children, positioning them for better-paying jobs and less trouble with the law.

James announced over the summer that he would ask voters in November to approve a 3/8-cent sales tax increase to generate about $30 million a year over the next decade for expanded access to pre-K. Public, charter and private schools and eligible private providers would all be involved.

Much of the initial funding would go to increasing the size and quality of pre-K programs. Eligible families would receive tuition discounts based on household income and the quality of the program.

The plan drew vehement objections from superintendents of the 15 public school districts that serve the city’s 4- and 5-year-olds. They asserted that the funding of private and parochial schools amounted to a voucher system that would divert money from public classrooms. They also pushed back at the make-up of the state-mandated governing board that would include just one school district representative among its five members.

In August, James heeded calls to postpone a November vote to allow for negotiations with superintendents. Those conversations continue with no sign of progress. The measure is now scheduled for the April ballot.

“The mayor continues to talk with superintendents and is still holding meetings, the next one coming up next week,” James’ communications director, Laura Swinford, said in an email Tuesday.

Most of the candidates said Monday evening that the plan was untenable without sign-off from the superintendents.

“I have deferred to our school districts, respecting the autonomy that they have,” said Taylor, who sat on the Center School District board.

Lucas called the proposal “a wonderful cause,” but said he wasn’t convinced that it was designed to help the very poorest of the city’s children.

“What I don’t want it to be is a subsidy going to children at the best private schools, the best parochial schools, et cetera,” he said.

Canady said too little attention has been paid to existing programs that have demonstrated success, citing Parents as Teachers, a national early childhood education program that provides home visits, screening and training to help improve the home environment of children K through 12.

“Oftentimes we come together with new solutions when we have solutions in place already,” Canady said.

Justus, a former two-term state senator, said gridlock in Jefferson City leaves zero chance of getting state funding for James’ plan, which he has named one of his three top priorities before leaving office.

“So when an idea comes forward to start educating kids now, today, I’m for it,” Justus said. “I refuse to wait while one more generation misses out. Because the 3/8-cent sales tax for me is totally worth it when you look at what we’re spending on the other side. When we don’t invest in pre-K, we pay for it on the other end in public safety, we pay for it in all of the other social service programs..”

Glynn, a Visitation parishioner since childhood (along with Miller) said the long-term investment represented by universal pre-K reminded him of a prayer attributed to Oscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated in 1980 and is now a saint.

Quoting Romero, Glynn said: “We are workers, not master builders. We are prophets of a future not yet our own.”

“We’re talking about making an investment that won’t pay off for decades. That’s exactly why we should do it,” Glynn said. “This election for mayor isn’t about the next four years. It’s about the next 40 years.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 5:30 AM.