Thousands of Memphis-area kids could lose pre-K in January
First 8 Memphis, the nonprofit entity that many pre-K centers rely on for funding, has not received the annual funding it gets from the City of Memphis and Shelby County government. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Up to 3,000 young children who receive needs-based prekindergarten in Memphis and Shelby County might not have pre-K centers to go to in January amid a funding crunch.Â
First 8 Memphis, the nonprofit entity that acts as the fiscal agent for local pre-K funds, has not received the annual funding it gets from the City of Memphis and Shelby County government.
The funding is being held up because Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has not signed the contract between the city, county and the nonprofit, said Kandace Thomas, First 8’s executive director.
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on the intersection of government, public policy, influence and how public dollars are spent.
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