The expansion will add two classrooms for 4-year-olds at both McPolin Elementary School and Jeremy Ranch Elementary School.
“Right now, McPolin and Jeremy both have three classrooms, and the spaces allow for six,” said Dan Gallery, a preschool director at McPolin.
He said the district conducted a community survey that had over 300 respondents. It found 86% of families needed five full days of preschool or five full days plus aftercare.
So, the preschool program for 4-year-olds will be five days a week next school year instead of four. It’s from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. An afterschool program will also be available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
For afterschool care, the preschool program is partnering with the district’s Community Education program. It’s open to everyone in the community and already includes afterschool activities for K-5 students.
“We want to ensure that our students receive high-quality preschool programming until 3 p.m., and then an enriched continuation of that day with Community Ed,” Gallery said.
The expansion also requires eight extra staff members.
Tuition for the five-day 4-year-old program will be $780 per month. The program hopes to work with Workforce Services to offset tuition for lower-income families. Tuition for families that qualify will be $125 per month. The afterschool program will be $400 per month, or 65$ per month for qualifying families.
The total cost of the expanded academic program, including the 3- and 4-year-old programs, is nearly $2.3 million per year. For the 2023 to 2024 school year, the program cost just over $1.2 million. Gallery said the total cost will be covered by tuition, Park City School District and donations from the Park City Education Foundation.
Gallery said the district requested the expansion now so families have time to plan.
“December is a crucial time for young families planning for their young children," he said. "It means waitlists and considerations of affordability when it comes to preschool options and child care, nonrefundable deposits. Planning for that takes months and months of time.”
Early registration starts in January with open registration in February.
