Cliffside Park to offer preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds after aid shift; board outlines budget, counselor and safety plans

The Cliffside Park Board of Education on Feb. 26 said the district’s application to shift from early childhood program aid to preschool education aid for the 2025–26 school year was approved, a change the board said will allow the district to offer preschool programs for both 3- and 4-year-olds.

The funding change was presented during committee reports by Board Member Dr. Pantoliano, who said the approved application ‘‘means, in short, that we will be providing preschool programs for 3 year olds and 4 year olds beginning in the 25–26 school year.’’ The district’s business administrator, Lou Alfano, and Superintendent Dr. Hayes also discussed budget planning for 2025–26, and board members raised staffing and safety measures tied to the budget process.

Board members said the preschool-aid transition could bring additional state funding and expand the pool of preschool children served in the district, but they repeatedly framed staffing and schedule details as subject to the 2025–26 budget’s final approval. Alfano told the board the tentative total budget is…