Guidelines for Preschool Application/Registration Process

2018-19

 

1. District preschools will begin to accept applications for the 2018-19 school year starting the period of 1/2/18 – 1/17/18.  All preschoolers new and returning (except for special education) should complete a preschool application.  The Early Childhood District Office will send you an electronic version of the SVVSD preschool application by December 8^th.  The application includes tuition, CPP and scholarships.  As part of the application, you will also receive a cover letter, list of district preschool programs and a tuition assistance application.  These forms along with other preschool forms will be shared with you as a google file.  Amber Muir, Data Quality Coordinator has provided the following link for your preschool enrollment forms required by the district to enter data into Infinite Campus: https://blogs.svvsd.org/studentrecords/registration-information/forms/.  Forms can also be found on the Early Childhood Blog https://blogs.svvsd.org/earlychildhood/

 

2. Principals will work with your Preschool Teacher(s) to determine your site procedures for the 1/2– 1/17/18 application window.  For instance, some sites may choose to let parents turn in applications for the entire two weeks while others may choose to offer only one day of the week.  Some of you might choose to have one or more informational sessions offered so parents can ask questions and hear an overview of your program (similar to a Kindergarten Round-Up).  These procedures will vary to meet the needs of your community as some schools will have large numbers of families applying for preschool and other schools rely on the District office to place many of their children.  School staff  may want to refer parents to our preschool webpage,  http://www.svvsd.org/about/departments/preschool

 

3. Prior to 1/2/18, each school (Principal, Secretary, Clerk and Preschool Teacher) will receive an email from the Early Childhood District Office designating the number of slots that must be held for CPP (Colorado Preschool Program) and Special Education (Child Find).  We will also share the Google preschool roster for the 18-19 school year with the slots designated.  These are the children we are required to serve in preschool due to state and federal regulations.  We must hold these slots prior to acceptance of tuition children.  As you fill tuition slots, please try to fill your classes in a way that offers a balanced roster of typical and non-typical peers.  The following personnel can assist with your questions:  Child Find/Special Education only: Karen Manning, Child Find Secretary (x57831); Colorado Preschool Program and general preschool questions:  Misty Green, Early Childhood/CPP Secretary (x57863).  Preschool Licensing: Shela Blankinship, Early Childhood Coordinator (x57871).

 

4. Universal Screenings: Developmental screenings are universally provided for all new incoming students, regardless of their funding source, with the exception of students served through spec. ed. Please work with your buildings in regards to dates, times, and scheduling. We will begin the rollout of these screenings in late February.

 

5. Colorado Preschool Program (CPP):  Each site will receive (electronically) CPP fliers.  Please make these available to help make families aware of the free preschool program.  These documents are available in English and Spanish and contain contact information for parents to schedule a screening appointment in our office.  Please send any applications with the CPP box marked via email ([email protected]) or district mail to the Early Childhood office at Student Services and keep a copy for your records. If a child qualifies for the CPP program, the family receives an acceptance letter which must be presented to the designated school prior to registration.  The school will also receive a copy of the acceptance letter for your records.  Misty Green (x57863 or 303-702-7815) will assist you with CPP questions.

 

6. Scholarships are also included in our preschool application.  These are intended to provide free preschool for three year olds that may qualify.  If a family marks the scholarship box on the preschool application, please send the application to the Early Childhood office via email ([email protected]) or district mail and keep a copy for your records.

 

7. Special Education:  Returning students with IEPs do not need to complete the application form during the preschool enrollment period.  Placements for the 2018-19 school year will be decided by Shela Blankinship, Early Childhood Coordinator.  She will consider parent requests for placement before final decisions are made in the spring.

 

8. At the District level, we will work with the Communication’s Dept. to effectively communicate with the media and provide information on the District website.  We will also provide information to Charter Schools, other agencies and departments within the District, i.e., Head Start programs, Private Preschools, Child Find, CPP, Student Data, etc.

 

9. At the site level, please include your preschool application/registration information in your upcoming newsletters, your school website, etc.  Please post the CPP fliers at your schools.

 

10. A previous committee of preschool staff and a group of Principals discussed guidelines for prioritizing acceptance of tuition children for the sites that have more children than they can accept and have to resort to a lottery system.  The following priorities were suggestions prior to a lottery and will continue for the 2018-19 school year:

1.      Child resides in school attendance area (designated neighborhood school)

2.      Family has a sibling at the school

3.      Child has a parent who is a staff member at the school

4.      Child attended the preschool the previous year

These priorities have been addressed on the application form.  We will also note on the application that children may not dual enroll although they may apply to more than one preschool due to the limited slots. 

 

11. If a lottery system is used, that will be determined at the site level.

 

12. Tuition costs will remain the same for 18-19 – T/Th $185, MWF $235 and M-Th $290 per month.

 

13. Once it is determined that a child is accepted to your program, all new preschoolers must complete an enrollment packet.  If they are returning preschoolers (including special ed), the Census Verification Form or the basic enrollment packet must be completed to meet preschool licensing requirements.

 

14.  A non-refundable $65 registration fee is required for tuition children.  It is against regulations to require this fee for CPP, Scholarships or Special Education.  This fee should be collected when the tuition child is confirmed for enrollment.

 

15.  Suggested timeline for spring application/registration process*:

·         By 12/8/17:  Early Childhood District Office will disseminate information to schools via electronic documents (preschool applications, CPP fliers, and new Preschool Program brochures, etc.)

 

·         Site determined:  Schools inform parents through newsletters and school websites regarding their specific procedures for the application window of 1/2/18 – 1/17/18

 

·         By 1/2/18:  Early Childhood District Office will communicate to schools regarding the number of slots to hold for Colorado Preschool Program and Special Education children.  The 18-19 Google preschool rosters will be shared with you also with the designated slots in place.

 

·         1/2 – 1/17/18: Schools conduct the “preschool application” process

 

·         1/30/18: Suggested final date to inform parents of acceptance to program and registration/enrollment begins (if program is not full, this process will be on-going)

 

·         By 2/10/18: Parents must have completed and returned the District Enrollment Forms along with their $65 application fee if filling a tuition spot.

 

 

*Children placed in program slots (CPP and Special Education) will continue to register as placements are determined throughout the spring, summer, and next school year.