Jefferson preschool reports no waitlist, plans expansion; board approves self-evaluation

The Jefferson School District board on Monday approved the 2024–25 preschool program self-evaluation and heard administrators describe growth and priorities in the district’s early-childhood offerings.

Lisa Zumeiga, director of early childhood development, told trustees the program served all families who applied this year and maintained a zero waitlist. She reported that 31 preschool students with individualized education programs (IEPs) were fully included in preschool classrooms, representing roughly 22% of enrollment, and that three evaluated classrooms received top scores (5 out of 5) on the quality rating improvement scale. “We served all families that were interested in preschool here in Jefferson. We had zero wait list and were able to meet the needs of the community,” Zumeiga said.

Zumeiga outlined three growth priorities: continuing an inclusive preschool program, creating additional spaces to serve more children and adding fee-based tuition slots to meet demand. She said the district is opening an additional classroom in the fall if enrollment continues to climb.

Trustees asked how the district preserves equity between fee-based and subsidized slots. Zumeiga described a confidential office-based eligibility process: families complete the same application and are assessed against state eligibility ceilings; teachers in the classroom do not see a child’s fee status. Regarding fees, she said the district adopted a countywide median fee of $2,400 per month for a full-time slot and $1,200 per month for a part-day slot (three-and-a-half hours).

After board questions about the SEEDS literacy strategies used in preschool and the district’s inclusion supports, a trustee moved and the board approved the self-evaluation by voice vote. The motion passed unanimously.