Batavia District 101 to offer free preschool

Batavia School District 101 is eliminating tuition for preschool services starting next school year, and parents will be allowed to enter their child into a lottery for open preschool spots.

Families with children turning 3 and 4 years old by Sept. 1 are eligible to participate in the lottery for the 2016-17 school year.

"We have had to deny entrance into our preschool program because of the financial barrier," said Brad Newkirk, district chief academic officer. "This effectively denies them a preschool experience. We are excited to be able to lift this barrier."

Families now pay between $195 and $230 monthly for preschool tuition based on the student's age. They still must pay the standard prekindergarten registration fee of $60 this fall.

Officials could not say how many preschool seats will be available for students this fall. The school board is discussing preschool staffing and possibly adding a classroom, if there is demand.

Lottery registration is open until 3 p.m. March 1. To register for the 2016-17 lottery, parents must complete a "Letter of Intent" posted at BPS101.net.

The preschool offers a language-rich, purposefully designed learning environment based in exploration and discovery. The academic and social-emotional curriculum is aligned with the district's kindergarten through fifth-grade curriculum and Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, officials said.

Preschool teachers hold general education and special education teaching certificates and have earned the English as a Second Language endorsement.

Three-year-old students attend from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and 4-year-old students attend classes from 12:40 to 3:10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Students must be potty-trained.

To learn more about the program and the lottery, parents can attend the preschool open house from 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Early Childhood Center in Alice Gustafson Elementary School, 905 Carlisle Road, Batavia. For more information, visit BPS101.net.