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Haddon Township School District outlines preschool program, tuition and Feb. 3 registration deadline
Summary
District leaders described the multi‑age preschool model, daily hours, wraparound care schedule, placement process and tuition for 2024–25 ($4,950 half‑day; $9,200 with wraparound), and said placements and final rates will be set with the spring budget and board approval.
Robert Disacaro, superintendent of the Haddon Township School District, told families at a preschool information night that the district’s preschool program will run at Stoy, Van Sciver and Edison and that enrollment opens immediately with a Feb. 3 deadline; families who register after that date will be placed on a waiting list.
The program uses a multi‑age model that mixes 3‑, 4‑ and 5‑year‑olds so teachers can meet children “where they are” developmentally, staff said. Classes include choice time, circle time and small‑group instruction for foundational skills such as fine motor work, early literacy and social‑emotional learning. “We recently passed a $30,000,000 referendum,” Disacaro said, adding that the funds will allow upgrades across the district; the superintendent also used a different figure for capital work in the same remarks (see note on figures below).
Hours and wraparound: AM preschool runs 8:40–11:10 a.m.; PM preschool runs 12:40–3:10 p.m. Families who need full‑day care can use the district’s wraparound program: before care begins at 7:00 a.m.; preschool‑specific aftercare runs to 4:30 p.m., and general aftercare continues until 6:00 p.m. Christina Shaughnessy, wraparound supervisor at Stoy, said children in wraparound participate in the same routines and transitions as their preschool peers.
Tuition and budget timing: Staff provided tuition for the 2024–25 year as $4,950 for half‑day preschool and $9,200 for preschool combined with wraparound. Officials said those rates are subject to change; the district intends to finalize the 2025–26 budget in mid‑May and adopt it at a board meeting. ‘‘We can’t run it as a deficit,’’ Disacaro said, noting the district must cover program costs without drawing down K–12 instructional resources.
Placement and family communication: Placement letters will go out in May and the district will consider sibling placement when possible, staff said. The district uses Seesaw for classroom communication and schedules parent‑teacher conferences twice a year. Miss Gray (district registrar) and Dawn Biscopio (aftercare supervisor) were listed as contacts for registration and program questions.
Admissions note: Staff emphasized that children are expected to be toilet‑trained before starting pre‑K in September though the district acknowledged accidents happen and will work with families.
What’s next: The district said registration continues through the posted roundup dates and the office will accept signups; the budget and any final rate changes are expected to be presented to the board in mid‑May.
Note on figures: In his presentation Disacaro said the district ‘‘recently passed a $30,000,000 referendum’’ and also referenced a $3,000,000 figure in immediate succession when describing capital improvements. The transcript contains both figures in the same passage; the district should be consulted for an authoritative breakdown of the referendum amount and planned capital allocations.
