Norwich expands preschool with Smart Start endowment classrooms and new hires as enrollment climbs

Corey Beckwith, Norwich Public Schools’ pre‑K principal, told the board on Nov. 18 that preschool enrollment is rising and the district has expanded classroom capacity using Smart Start endowment funding.

“We’re at 247 students enrolled in preschool,” Beckwith said in his board presentation, adding that 15 more enrolled after the report was written and another 15 were on a waiting list, moving the projected total toward about 280 students. He said the district opened its first Smart Start endowment classroom in October at Moriarty and is opening a second at Mahan on Dec. 8, bringing preschool classroom capacity from 15 to 17; the district expects up to 20 classrooms when new school buildings open.

To support integrated classrooms and special education caseloads, Beckwith said the district hired three preschool special‑education building substitutes. “So with the addition of these 3 folks that we've recently added, the teachers will have release time,” he said, noting the hires will help balance responsibilities tied to individualized education plans.

Beckwith described classroom size limits driven by state facility rules — from a maximum of about 11 children in the smallest rooms up to 18 in the largest — and said the district will continue professional development focused on special‑education work to meet upcoming changes in state early‑learning standards and revised preschool assessments.

The board asked for clarification on classroom counts and certification; district staff said they are continuing orientation and training and will roll out new assessment guidance as the state completes its updates. The board also heard that furniture selections for new classrooms are being coordinated with special‑education and multilingual staff to ensure accessibility and appropriateness for intervention space.