Vernon Township School District to Offer Free Full-Day Preschool Starting Dec. 16

Superintendent Russell Rogers announced that the Vernon Township School District will launch a state-funded full-day preschool for three- and four-year-old children beginning Dec. 16.

The program, the district said on a community podcast, will replace the existing half-day, tuition-based preschool and will be provided at no additional tax cost to residents because it is funded through a state grant. "It will be completely free," Vincent Gaglio, the district's director of curriculum and instruction and Walnut Ridge principal, said.

Why it matters: Full-day preschool is intended to expand access to early childhood education, reduce cost barriers for families and provide a development-focused curriculum that prepares children for kindergarten. The district said the program will use the Tools of the Mind curriculum, which Walnut Ridge Principal Suzanne McDougall described as "state-approved, research-based" and designed to promote "cognitive and social emotional development with a special focus on self-regulation skills."

Who is eligible and how to enroll: The district said children must be 3 years old on or before Oct. 1 to enroll this year. Daily hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration had closed Nov. 1; because demand exceeded available seats the district will allocate openings through a public lottery on Nov. 14 at the Board of Education work session. Families who register and submit paperwork will be assigned a number and placed in lottery order. The district will notify lottery results on Nov. 15; families offered a seat will have until Nov. 22 to accept and to indicate whether they need transportation.

Priority and selection rules: Per a state requirement explained by district staff, families qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch will receive priority in the lottery system. "Any family who qualifies for free and reduced lunch will have four tickets in the lottery system as opposed to one," Gaglio said, noting that the rule is intended to provide greater access for lower-income families.

Transportation and out-of-school care: Transportation will be offered to families that request it; the district said buses will be large, equipped with seat belts, and bus stops will be more limited and communal than those used for older students. Before- and after-care will be available through a separate provider named in the podcast (Palal), which is not district-affiliated but will operate in the Walnut Ridge building. Families must contact Palal directly to register for extended care.

Next steps and how to get information: The district encouraged families with questions to reach out to school offices for details about enrollment, bus stops and the lottery. Rogers said the district will provide clear communications at each step as it implements the program.

The district reiterated the key dates of the enrollment process: public lottery on Nov. 14, notification of results on Nov. 15, and an acceptance and transportation-decision deadline of Nov. 22. The podcast concluded with district staff inviting families to contact the school with questions.