WCSD Expands Pre-Kindergarten Programs

The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is expanding its Pre-Kindergarten programming, thanks to funding from the Nevada Department of Education.

WCSD is offering approximately 200 more seats to students who will attend classes four days per week—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday— for a total of 900 Pre-K seats in schools. There is no cost for qualifying students who are accepted into the program. Whenever possible, Pre-K students will be placed at their zoned school.

The expanded Pre-K eligibility criteria include students who are:

• Living in rural, frontier, remote areas or tribal lands
• Living in foster care, kindship care, or with a parent who is incarcerated
• Experiencing homelessness
• Assigned to one- or two-star rated schools
• Members of migrant or refugee families
• Living in single-parent households

School sites that will host expanded Pre-K classes include:

• Desert Skies Middle School
• Nick Poulakidas Elementary School
• Hunter Lake Elementary School
• Jesse Hall Elementary School
• Jerry Whitehead Elementary School
• Hidden Valley Elementary School

“We are excited to offer this option to our families and look forward to welcoming these young learners to our schools this fall,” said Don Angotti, Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Education for WCSD. “Early exposure to high-quality learning opportunities for our youngest students is critically important to their success later in school, and the expanded Pre-K programming is designed to support students who are facing challenges that could adversely impact their learning.”

Families may begin the application process by visiting www.washoeschools.net/prek. If demand exceeds available seats, families will be placed on a wait list.