Gwinnett County Public Schools is launching a new pre-K program next school year that will be the first of its kind for the district.
This program will be for 256 students in eight elementary schools. Pre-K classes in schools have been exclusively for special needs students. Pre-K for other students are typically in locations such as churches or day cares.
“We put a lot of emphasis on the general ed pre-K and kids being ready for kindergarten,” said Joe Heffron, the district’s chief financial officer. District assessments found that about 54% of incoming kindergarten students are not kindergarten ready.
Deputy Superintendent Nakia Towns said the demand for pre-K far exceeds the seats available in various programs.
“We’re hoping in the district that we can fill some of that gap by offering pre-K in our schools and address that 54% who are not ready for kindergarten,” Towns said.
Anderson-Livsey, Beaver Ridge, Benefield, Hopkins, Lawrenceville, McKendree, Nesbit and Norton elementary schools will have pre-K classes for students in their respective zones.
The school year will be 180 days and match the district calendar. School days will be 6 hours and 30 minutes. The district will provide also bus transportation.
Each school will have two classes of 16 students, who will be selected by a lottery at each school. The district will reserve some spots for the children of employees.
Lottery registration opened March 28 and will close April 25 at 5 p.m. The drawings will be April 27, and parents will learn if their child was selected by April 29.
The pre-K program is open to children who will be 4 or 5 on or before Sept. 1, but priority will be given to 4-year-olds.
Children not selected in their school’s lottery will be placed on a waiting list to fill spots that become available.
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