School Committee votes to introduce a half day preschool program

Dartmouth Public Schools has recently been weighing adjustments to its preschool program, and on Monday, Jan. 27, the School Committee voted unanimously to change the 3-year-old’s program from a full day to a half day.

Students will attend class for two and a half hours rather than six and will participate in classroom activities that will incorporate art, music and movement.

One of the most important reasons for this change is the “development appropriateness” for students, said Director of Student Services Laurie Dionisio.

“A 3-year-old and a 5-year-old have very different needs, and by separating these age groups, it would allow the teacher in that classroom to meet those needs more specifically,” she said.

These needs for 3-year-olds include a focus on play, language development, social development and honing fine motor skills, Dionisio said.

Four and 5-year-olds need to focus on starting the pre-kindergarten experience, which includes the foundations of curriculum, transitioning to special areas and being able to sustain a full day of school, she added.

There are currently eight preschool classrooms in the Cushman school that can accommodate 15 students ages 3 through 5.

Under the new program, two of these rooms would be converted into the half day program, one would be used as a separate class for students who require a higher level of support and five would maintain the full day schedule, Dionisio said.

This change would introduce two morning sessions and one afternoon session with the possibility of a second afternoon session if the need arises.

The state requires preschools to have seats open for students with disabilities ages 3 and up, which presents a challenge each year as it’s uncertain how many seats need to be reserved for these students, Dionisio said.

The ability to add a second afternoon class will help alleviate some of this uncertainty, she added.

The price for the full day program will increase from $450 to $600 to account for the need for additional busing to bus kids home from school and to school in the middle of the day. The cost for the half day program will be $250.

These prices are still lower than the average cost for similar programs in the area, according to Assistant Superintendent James Kiely, who said the average cost for full day programs is over $700 and the average price for half day programs is $417.

The program for 4-year-olds would remain the same with physical education, art, music, lunch, recess and rest time.

On professional development days and early release days, all preschool students will have off. If there is a delayed opening due to snow, kids in the morning session won’t have school but those in the afternoon session will.

“We have the staff to make this work, and I think it’s worth making it work,” Dionisio said.