Three-year-olds who qualify under state criteria will be able to join Leander ISD’s prekindergarten program for the 2021-22 school year.
LISD's program will create combined classrooms for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds at 15 early-childhood community sites. Existing staff and allocations will be used with minimal additional materials needed, said Kendra Winans, the executive director of state and federal programs. But additional staff can be added if enrollment is above projections. Half days would be from 7:40 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
“We do feel like this is an investment worth making for our students in Leander,” Winans said.
The school board approved the expansion March 26. LISD expanded from a half-day to a full-day prekindergarten program for the 2020-21 school year.
The prekindergarten program for 3-year-olds will be offered at Bagdad, Bush, Camacho, Cox, Cypress, Deer Creek, Faubion, Giddens, Grandview Hills, Knowles, Larkspur, Naumann, Plain, Pleasant Hill and Tarvin elementary schools. Bagdad, Bush, Faubion and Knowles elementary schools have bilingual programs.
The district said students who are ready for kindergarten are five times more likely to pass the third-grade reading assessment and six times more likely to be on track for college and career readiness in math.
Chief Academic Officer Matt Bentz said the district is in discussions with parents, teachers and principals about realigning early-childhood special education classrooms onto early-childhood community sites. Winans said more information could be shared with the board in two weeks.
Parents can register online in English or Spanish. According to LISD, eligibility criteria for prekindergarten includes:
