Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Preschool Reconfiguration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dartmouth committee approves preschool reconfiguration, sets new fees for 2025–26
Summary
The Committee unanimously approved reconfiguring preschool services for 2025–26: age‑3 programming moves to half‑day at $250/month while age‑4 remains full‑day at $600/month; the District said the change offsets transportation and operational costs.
The Dartmouth School Committee approved a district proposal on Jan. 27 to reconfigure preschool offerings for the 2025–26 school year, including a shift to half‑day programming for age‑3 children and new fee levels.
Laurie Dionisio, Executive Director of Student Services, presented the plan that would set a $600 monthly fee for full‑day preschool for age‑4 students and a $250 monthly fee for half‑day preschool for age‑3 students. The proposal also calls for not holding preschool on scheduled early‑release days. District staff said the change is intended in part to offset increased transportation costs that could result from the schedule change.
Committee members asked about compliance with federal special‑education requirements and maintaining inclusion. Dionisio said the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a continuum of services and that inclusion remains the District’s goal, though staffing and service balance can be challenging in practice.
Action: The Committee voted unanimously (5–0) to approve the re‑imaging of Cushman Preschool for 2025–26, including the fee and schedule adjustments. Stephanie Riccardi was introduced as the incoming Early Childhood Director and will begin Feb. 3, 2025.
Next steps: District staff will implement the new schedule and fee structure for the 2025–26 registration and notify families of the change.
