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MURRAY - A paragraph in the Utah Office of Education's newsletter to school districts set off rumors this week that the Murray Early Childhood Development Center would close doors come fall.
The Murray School District, meanwhile, has scrambled to assure parents that scenario is overblown.
Nevertheless, an attorney with the education office said the state Board of Education will soon determine the best way to provide preschool in light of two laws that operate together in confusing ways.
State law prohibits school districts from charging tuition for preschool programs, while federal law requires that preschool children in need of Head Start and special education programs receive them free through federal funding. The center, at 73 West and 6100 South, offers community preschooling for traditional students, who pay tuition, and also free Head Start and special education programs.
The district now plans on absorbing community preschool enrollment into its special education program, which requires integration of traditional and special-needs children. The district hopes this will allow tuition-paying preschoolers to conform with state law.
Parents are relieved that their reaction to rumors has got administrators moving.
"We've made a strong dent in the situation," said Petra Winegar, whose daughter graduated from the center, with a son still attending. "But the legal beavers are going to have to sit down and address our concerns."
Jean Hill, an attorney with the state Office of Education, admits the newsletter could have given the law a more nuanced explanation. "It was a classic case of miscommunication," Hill said.
Instead it prompted district Assistant Superintendent Steve Hirase to hold a Monday meeting with the center's staff and pen a letter that would have informed parents the district planned on closing the center's community preschool program, with Head Start picking up some traditional students.
Tuesday conversations with the state Office of Education, however, informed the district of more options. The district never sent its letter.
It's likely that Monday's meeting with center staff, however, got rumors started, Hirase said.
"We're fairly confident we'll be able to continue the programs at the school as they exist currently," Hirase said.
The district will hold a parents meeting Tuesday at Murray High School, 5440 S. State St., to dispel confusion.