The Regional School Unit 14 board is discussing a proposal to introduce publicly funded preschool to the Windham-Raymond school district. The program, which is still in its earliest stages of development, would provide preschool education to select 4-year-olds in the region.
The idea for a preschool program is not new, according to Marge Govoni, board chairwoman, who says the topic has “come up frequently” at meetings in the past few years. The preschool program, also known as pre-K, was first formally presented before the board in September by the Facilities Committee, as a way of utilizing vacant space at Raymond Elementary School.
“It seemed the perfect time to think about (the pre-K program),” said Govoni. “(The Facilities Committee) is kind of what kicked it off … We are really just in the early stages of seeing (if) this is a program that is viable for our district, if it is something that would benefit us.”
A 12-person committee, made up of RSU 14 board members and administrators, was formed in the fall to work specifically on the pre-K proposal.
At the Dec. 16 school board meeting, the pre-K committee received approval to continue pursuing the project, while working to address concerns about the costs. The rough estimate of the program’s first-year costs is $137,475, a figure that includes the salaries for a teacher and a teacher’s aide – a state requirement for pre-K programs – and transportation.
Concerns about costs “are legitimate,” said Jeraldine Keane-Dreyer, a member of the school board and the pre-K committee. “We’d like to pursue, and look into getting upfront funding.”
“We have a good feeling that academically it’s a great idea to do this,” says Govoni, “but we have other things we have to look at (including) the financial implications, who you involve, the selection criteria… The only thing we’re sure of, if we move forward, is it would be housed at Raymond Elementary because they have an extra kindergarten classroom.”
An important question for the committee is whether the program should be full-day or half-day. The half-day program would serve 32 children, with 16 children attending in the morning and 16 in the afternoon. The full-day program would enroll 16 children total. Govoni said the board is “leaning toward” a half-day program, in order to serve more children. The committee may consider expanding the program in later years, depending on the program’s early success.
According to Kyle Rhoads, principal at Windham Primary School, one of the key goals of the pre-K program is to give a “leg up” to students with disabilities.
“Certainly research supports that there is a real benefit to strong early intervention for all students before entering public education,” Rhoads said. “The younger the age (of intervention), the greater the opportunity for future success.”
In developing the program, the pre-K committee has consulted with Susan Reed, early childhood consultant for the Maine Department of Education. She agreed that pre-K programs can benefit any child, “but (especially) a child at risk from poverty, English as a second language, and other major risk factors. Starting earlier can ameliorate some of those factors,” Reed said.
According to Reed, the ideal preschool program is rich in language and content knowledge, areas that are critical for later success.
“When parents read, talk, and explore with children, (this) adds up to a lot of language. If (children) don’t have that, or don’t have that to the same extent, they are already behind when they enter kindergarten,” she said.
Given the benefits of early intervention for a child’s later success, the development of public pre-K programs is pushed at both the state and federal levels. In Maine, roughly 68 percent of public schools with kindergarten programs also have a preschool program, Reed said.
Rhoads said he has not heard concerns from private preschools in the Windham-Raymond area that the public program would affect their businesses. He said ultimately he hopes the school would use this as an opportunity to partner with area preschools, “to discuss what they can do to better prepare children for coming to school ready to learn. By working more with all the preschools, the outcome will be more children coming to kindergarten ready to be successful.”
Two area preschools contacted by the Lakes Region Weekly declined to comment on the public program until the proposal is more fully developed. Discussion is on the agenda for an RSU 14 meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, and the committee is inviting private preschools in the area to attend, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the proposal and express any concerns.
Moving forward, the committee will be determining whether the program should be a half day or full day, and “working on financial aspects,” said Keane-Dreyer. Also on the to-do list is to visit area preschools, including one in Freeport, to gain insights into developing the preschool curriculum.
Once the budget for the program is finalized, it will be voted on by the school board and, if approved, added to the budget that faces a public vote in May. If approved by the public, an application to the state Department of Education will be sent in June.
Govoni expressed her interest in working with private preschools in the area.
“We don’t want to be looked at as competition because that’s not what we’re out there for,” she said.
A CLOSER LOOK
An informational meeting regarding the pre-K proposal will be held at Manchester School in Windham at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12. The snow date is Jan. 13.
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