With funding from the Nevada Department of Education, the Washoe County School District is expanding its Pre-Kindergarten programming across selected elementary, middle, and charter school sites throughout Washoe County. Schools were chosen based on available space and a regional approach aimed at supporting access across different areas.
“Early exposure to high-quality learning opportunities for our youngest students is critically important to their success later in school, and the expanded Pre-K programming is designed to support students who are facing challenges that could adversely impact their learning,” said Don Angotti, Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Education for WCSD. “WCSD is offering approximately 200 more seats to students who will attend classes four days per week, for a total of 900 Pre-K seats in our schools. We are excited to offer this option to our families and look forward to welcoming these young learners to our schools this fall.”
The expanded Pre-K eligibility criteria include students who are:
Living in rural, frontier, remote areas or tribal lands
Living in foster care, kinship care, or with a parent who is incarcerated
Experiencing homelessness
Assigned to one- or two-star rated schools
Members of migrant or refugee families
Living in single-parent households
School sites that will host expanded Pre-K classes include:
Desert Skies Middle School
Nick Poulakidas Elementary School
Hunter Lake Elementary School
Jesse Hall Elementary School
Jerry Whitehead Elementary School
Hidden Valley Elementary School
The program is funded entirely by the Nevada Department of Education, and there is no cost for qualifying students who are accepted. Whenever possible, Pre-K students will be placed at their zoned school. Classes will be held four days a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Families can begin the application process at http://www.washoeschools.net/prek. If demand exceeds available seats, families will be placed on a wait list.
