Almost Half of Municipalities Cannot Afford Their Own Kindergarten

According to a study by the Aspen Institute, Czech municipalities face pressure to secure compulsory education and preschool capacity as surrounding towns cancel education agreements and enrollment numbers swell. Under national law, every municipality must guarantee schooling for its residents aged 6 to 15, relying on neighboring public schools via formal contracts when they lack their own facilities.

The Crisis of Canceled School Districts and Enrollment Limits

When neighboring schools reach full capacity, those agreements can be terminated, leaving smaller towns scrambling for alternatives, according to the Aspen Institute study. Furthermore, these standard contracts do not grant the council of the municipality from which the pupils come influence over the school located in another municipality.

Radomír Pavlíček, mayor of the South Moravian village of Železné, experienced this firsthand. “The town of Tišnov, without notifying us of anything, convened an extraordinary meeting of the assembly and as the only item on the agenda canceled the original school districts,” Pavlíček said in findings published by the Aspen Institute. “Thus we were thrown overboard, if I put it this way.”

Early Childhood Education Mandates and Financial Hurdles

In addition to primary education obligations, municipalities must now guarantee preschool spots for children older than three years. However, the financial barrier to entry for building new facilities remains high for smaller local authorities, as noted by the Aspen Institute.

For regions densely populated by settlements with fewer than 500 residents, the study suggests that a single kindergarten in every fifth village would suffice. Yet, high initial costs often exceed local budgets. Small municipalities also struggle with public procurement processes; low contractor interest reduces market competition and drives up project prices, while shifting political majorities after local elections can change the council’s attitude toward a project, undermining long-term stability.

Shared Solutions Through Voluntary Municipal Associations

To bypass these structural roadblocks, towns and villages can form voluntary municipal associations to establish shared “association schools” (aspeninstitute.cz). These collaborative entities allow multiple municipalities to jointly operate and fund kindergartens and primary schools.

This cooperative model ensures that representatives of the municipalities retain a share of influence and can vote on operational budgets and management. Tomáš Rosenbaum, mayor of the village of Mšec, described the operation of the Bez hranic primary and nursery school to the Aspen Institute, noting that the arrangement equalizes power dynamics among participating members regardless of whether a village contributes a kindergarten or an entire two-stage school.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the legal obligations of Czech municipalities regarding education?

Municipalities must legally secure compulsory school attendance for resident children aged 6 to 15. Since a large portion of villages do not operate their own facilities, they must contract capacity with neighboring municipal schools.

What is an association school?

An association school is a kindergarten or primary school established and operated jointly by multiple municipalities through a voluntary association, giving participating local councils a shared vote in its budget and administration.

Why do small municipalities struggle to build their own schools?

Small villages face steep upfront costs, low contractor participation in public tenders that inflate construction prices, and political unpredictability following local election cycles.

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