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Ocean Township outlines preschool plan for 2026–27, adding general‑education seats
Summary
District administrators told the board they will keep the existing number of preschool classrooms but reduce special‑education seats per room from three to two, creating 24 additional general‑education preschool seats and projecting 184 total preschool seats when next year’s four‑year‑olds move up to kindergarten.
District officials told the Board of Education during a work session that planning is under way for preschool in 2026–27 and that administrators expect to increase general‑education preschool capacity without opening new classrooms.
An administrator reporting to the board said the district’s director of preschool, Tristan Bona, is preparing the plan and that the district “will not be adding any new classes next year,” but will reconfigure seats in existing classrooms. The plan moves classrooms from three special‑education seats each to two, which the administration said will create 24 additional general‑education preschool seats.
The administrator said that when the current four‑year‑olds advance to kindergarten next year, the district expects to have 184 preschool seats available. The district encouraged families with 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds to visit the registration tab on the district website and apply when enrollment opens.
District officials did not present a formal vote on the preschool plan at this meeting; the comments were part of the administrator’s report and the board did not adopt a resolution or motion related to the plan during the work session. Funding sources, staffing plans for the reconfigured classrooms, and any required approvals or licensing for the change were not specified during the discussion and would be expected at a later date as the plan is finalized.
Background and next steps: the administrator said applications will open later in the school year and the district plans a parent information session to guide families through registration. The board was invited to review the plan when it is formally presented for action at a future meeting.
