Hillsboro R-III school officials reported steady early childhood growth and a plan to reduce the pre-K wait list at the district’s meeting.

In a midyear presentation, early childhood staff said the program started the year with six integrated classrooms (three full-time pre-K equivalents plus mixed sessions), expanded to eight classrooms this fall and currently serves 118 students. To enroll more children from the wait list, staff proposed converting two integrated classrooms into general-education pre-K rooms, each capped at 15 students per session, and keeping four integrated classrooms to preserve DESE-funded services for students with individualized education plans (IEPs).

The change is intended to pull roughly 23–27 students off the district’s pre-K wait list and move projected enrollment toward the district’s earlier goal range of 140–160 early-intervention students. Staff emphasized that DESE funding for “integrated” classrooms requires that at least half of the students in those rooms have IEPs; if that threshold is not met, DESE provides no prorated reimbursement.

Board members asked how shifts would affect students on IEPs. Staff said about five students on IEPs are in the two rooms identified and that transitions will be managed within the same AM/PM sessions where possible, with teachers paired to maintain continuity. Officials also confirmed every early childhood classroom has an instructional aide; self-contained classrooms can qualify for additional aide funding based on need.

Program highlights included high attendance—reported at about 95.66%, above comparable local programs—and fundraising and outreach: a fall fundraiser raised more than $3,000, veterans visited classrooms, and students took a field trip to a farm. Staff also summarized Parents as Teachers (PAT) services now operating in-house for the first time (previously a consortium), noting three part-time parent educators and plans to expand home visits and screenings as DESE allocations allow.

The board received the midyear report; staff said they will continue outreach to families on the wait list and monitor DESE funding rules that determine classroom eligibility.