The youngest students in the Windsor Central Unified District (WCUD) can attend preschool for free for 20 hours a week starting next fall with a public pre-kindergarten (PreK) program in three of the district’s schools: Killington, Reading, and Woodstock Elementary Schools.
“The Windsor Central Unified District is excited to be able to offer high quality public prekindergarten programs across our district. We are looking to ensure all families equitable access to a high quality, no cost program for our youngest students. By offering these public programs, the district is also able to continually align curriculum and instructional practices PreK-12 and provide professional development and collaboration opportunities for all PreK teachers in the district,” said Superintendent Mary Beth Banios.
While students from outside the district can enroll, priority is given to in-district students ages 3-5 in registration through April 27. General registration opens April 28 until the classes are filled (maximum is 20 students in each school).
For WCUD residents, the morning PreK hours are covered by Vermont’s Universal PreK funding at no cost to families.
Non-WCUD residents should contact their local district for Universal PreK funding for 10 hours. The other 10 hours will be covered by WCUD.
The morning PreK program will be four hours a day, five days a week in each of the schools with an option for extended day and after school programs paid for by families to assist with childcare.
Each of the schools will offer unique spaces and opportunities to its PreK students with access to the resources already available in the elementary schools such as the school cafeteria and playground.
Each school will also offer an extended day program for three hours after the PreK program that will be led by the morning Pre-K teaching staff at a cost of $5,250 for the school year ($150 a week). In addition, if after school care is needed, the PreK students can transition to the school’s After School program until 5 p.m. at a cost of $525 per quarter.
Registration forms and more information can be found at www.wcsu.net/prek or at district elementary schools.
