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Modesto City Schools outlines ECE expansion, pilots full‑inclusion preschool and MJC infant‑toddler partnership
Summary
District senior director Heidi Nunes told the board the early childhood education department serves roughly 800 children across Head Start, state preschool and a family child‑care network; priorities include expanding infant/toddler care with Modesto Junior College and scaling a full‑inclusion preschool pilot.
Heidi Nunes, senior director of Early Childhood Education for Modesto City Schools, presented a district update Tuesday night outlining an expanding early childhood program that now serves roughly 800 children with 135 staff across 18 sites and multiple program types including Head Start, state preschool, a family child‑care home network and a new full‑inclusion preschool pilot.
Nunes said the district’s full‑inclusion preschool pilot at Brettheart Elementary serves 48 children and pairs general‑education and special‑education staff to support children with and without identified disabilities in the same classroom. She described play‑based instruction aligned to the preschool and transitional kindergarten learning foundations and said the district has established an infant‑toddler site at Robertson Road Children's Center and is partnering with Modesto Junior College to open another infant‑toddler center on MJC’s West campus.
“The goal is a coherent PK‑3 system that ensures kindergarten readiness,” Nunes said, listing priorities for 2025–26: recruiting families to fill seats, expanding infant and toddler capacity with MJC, increasing full‑inclusion sites districtwide, and enhancing family engagement and workforce pathways for future ECE educators.
Board members pressed for participation and program details. Sarah Cromwell, identified as the district’s URI coordinator, said 100% of enrolled families have the opportunity to attend parent meetings and estimated about 75% of those families participate in the events, citing nearly 100 parent meetings last year with more than 1,000 parents in attendance and 1,641 community referrals to health, housing and social‑emotional supports.
Trustee Brown asked about supports for families who are English learners; staff said communications and parent meetings are provided in English and Spanish and that many ECE staff are bilingual. Nunes clarified that instruction is not a dual‑immersion model but that English‑language development is embedded across the day with additional small‑group designated language time for children who need it.
Trustees also asked about staffing ratios. Nunes and staff provided the district’s ratios by program: Head Start 1:10; state preschool 1:8; TK 1:10; infant classrooms 1:3; toddler classrooms 1:4.
Clara Nikai, family child‑care network coordinator, and Olivia Lerno described the network’s supports for providers — coaching, lending libraries, professional development and case conferencing three times per year — and a promotional video showcased at the Every Child California conference.
No board action was required; the presentation closed with staff saying the district will continue strategic planning and outreach to recruit families and scale the infant/toddler and inclusion efforts.
