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Marysville board OKs preschool handbook; district outlines Mini Monarch Academy rollout and transportation limits
Summary
The board received an update and approved materials tied to the district’s new preschool (branded Mini Monarch Academy), including class lists, handbook, staffing approvals and clarifications that peer students will not receive district bus transportation due to capacity and contract constraints.
The Marysville Exempted Village School District presented its plan for a new preschool program — branded “Mini Monarch Academy” — and the board approved the preschool handbook and related staffing actions.
Assistant superintendent/administration staff (report presenter) described the new branding and the work to finalize class lists and daily schedules. “Of course that can change... but we think they're complete,” the presenter said about class lists and added the handbook would appear on the board agenda for approval later in the meeting.
Staff told the board they had coordinated with the Harold Lewis Center and other Union County schools on shared-cost arrangements and that peer placements from local waitlists were accepted. The district is moving preschool and certain therapy teams into the Harold Lewis Building for tours and space planning.
On transportation, district staff made a firm clarification: students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) remain eligible for transportation, but peer students (typically non-IEP peers attending preschool alongside special education students) will not receive district bus service because the current transportation contractor (VAT) cannot add routes or drivers for peers and the district must treat all peer placements equally. “If we offer to 1, we would have to offer to all. So we have to treat everybody equally and therefore we, we are not providing transportation to those peers,” the presenter said. The district noted preschool planning must account for enrollment fluctuations through the year, because children turn 3 year-round and can be added weekly.
Staff also listed open positions related to the program (two building secretaries had resigned and the positions were posted) and described a short-term onboarding timetable. The board approved the preschool handbook and related personnel items later in the meeting.
Board members thanked staff for rapid work to stand up the program and noted the compressed timeline. The presenter acknowledged that a small number of school-age staff would be displaced because of resignations and that those staff understand the process and potential reassignments.
The board vote approved the handbook, staffing and related superintendent action items tied to preschool implementation.
