York City SD details Pre‑K Counts expansion, attendance push and family engagement

A district presentation to the York City School District board laid out goals and early results for the district's Pre‑K Counts program, including near‑capacity enrollment, attendance targets tied to grant conditions and expanded family‑engagement initiatives.

The presenter said the program is explicitly aligned with district priorities and grant requirements so that a "high‑quality, developmentally appropriate" pre‑K counts program can be sustained. The presentation noted the grant funds 275 student spots and reported current enrollment at 265 students, with a small number of recent moves expected to leave those openings filled in early January.

Board members were given a breakdown of special populations: English learners increased from 97 last year to 121 this year; speech and language evaluations are pending screenings with Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12; 14 students were identified as homeless and about 188 are from single‑parent households. Classroom distribution details were shared (examples cited: one room at McKinley and Ferguson, three at STEAM), and the district follows grant guidance on class sizes (a suggested 17 that can go to 20 in larger rooms).

Attendance was described as one of three central goals. The district outlined a multi‑step attendance success plan: teacher monitoring and office alerts beginning at five absences, phone outreach and follow up by staff (named staff make calls), and a team meeting plus an attendance success plan at 10 absences to address root causes. The district set a 90% monthly attendance target for pre‑K and said current rates are tracking near that goal.

Presenters also described family engagement and community partnerships intended to support attendance and readiness: the York Rotary Club read to classrooms and donated books; First 10 play‑and‑learn events have continued at Keystone Kidspace; family engagement nights were held and changes are planned to improve turnout; and organizations such as Positive Energy Arts Foundation and WellSpan provided in‑school programming.

Instructional priorities highlighted early literacy and the addition of a numeracy goal. The district reported baseline preschool early literacy indicator (PELI) data and said midyear assessments were scheduled in January to track gains. The district is implementing a set of math "look‑fors" and a short assessment checklist to measure progress across seven early numeracy standards.

On staffing and professional development, presenters said lead teacher attendance rates are high and that assistant teachers are completing Child Development Associate (CDA) training. The district described partnerships with external providers for professional learning and a planned First 10 summer institute in June.

Board members thanked pre‑K teachers and staff during the meeting; a board member asked that the board consider pay parity and budget support to keep the program staffed and sustainable.

The district concluded by inviting questions and noting it would return with additional data after midyear assessments.