MSD Southwest Allen County Schools to expand Spartan Kids Pre-K and Friendship Company; Lifewise religious instruction to start in January

District administrators told the board they will expand the Spartan Kids Pre-K pilot, scale up the Friendship Company before/after-school program, and begin a Lifewise religious instruction partnership in January.

A staff member who presented the preschool update said the Covington pilot currently enrolls 23 students in a five-day program that runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., staffed by one teacher and two instructional assistants. The presenter said the pilot is a Path to Quality Level 3 program and that all 23 current students are funded through On My Way vouchers from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration; she said those vouchers are awarded based on financial need.

The board heard the district plans to expand the Spartan Kids Pre-K next year to Covington, Hever Hill, Lafayette Meadows and Whispering Meadows. Enrollment for the expansion is scheduled to open on February 3; the district said each site will host one classroom and that next year the program will move to a full school day. The presenter said the district selected initial expansion sites because they are Title I schools with the greatest need and said the program will accept students from adjacent boundaries if space and voucher eligibility allow.

District staff also reported plans to expand Friendship Company, the district's before- and after-school childcare program that currently operates at four elementary locations. The presenter said Friendship Company serves about 180 students per session at the four sites and that the district plans to serve about 225 students per session systemwide when the program expands to all six elementary schools, maintaining a 15:1 student-to-staff ratio and hiring additional staff as needed.

On a separate agenda item, the board was briefed on a Lifewise arrangement that will begin in January 2025. Lifewise is a privately funded, off-campus religious instruction program; presenters said Indiana law permits students to attend such instruction during the school day with explicit parent permission. District staff said Lifewise sessions at Deer Ridge will be for fourth- and fifth-graders once weekly at Sunrise, while at Covington they will be for fourth-graders and take place at the chapel. Students who participate will miss their weekly library period and part of recess on the day they attend.

Why it matters: Expanding pre-K access and childcare supports families and could affect kindergarten readiness, enrollment patterns and scheduling across several neighborhood schools. Lifewise raises implementation and scheduling questions because it removes participating students from scheduled academic or enrichment times during the instructional day.

Board members thanked staff for the rapid work to stand up the pilot program and launch expansions; no formal board action was recorded on the preschool expansion or Lifewise in the transcript excerpt.

Enrollment and funding details

- Current Covington pilot: 23 students; program hours 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; one teacher and two instructional assistants; Path to Quality Level 3 ac-creditation cited by staff. - Funding: All 23 current students receive On My Way vouchers through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration; non-voucher families will be offered a pay option at rates comparable to other full-day five-day preschool programs. - Expansion schools: Covington, Hever Hill, Lafayette Meadows, Whispering Meadows. - Enrollment opens: February 3 (district-provided date).