Everett Schools move toward full-day pre-K, preschool programs by fall

By Neil Zolot

The Everett School Department is taking steps towards expanding preschool and pre-Kindergarten to full-day programs by September. “Students would benefit from this,” Superintendent William Hart said at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 20. “It would be an essential part of a strong learning environment and outcomes would be stronger. Numerous studies indicate that.”

“We believe it will have a great impact on student achievement,” Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Student Success Margaret Adams added.

The programs would be free, similar to those in Boston and unlike Chelsea, which charges $15 a day, and Revere, which charges $10 per day. “This is all free,” Adams said.

Current half-day programs of preschool, pre-K and a multi-age classroom for three and four year olds, all of which last about two and a half hours, would be extended to run from 8:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m., although half-day options would still be available.

Adams said full-day sessions will improve literacy and language skills, with more time for conversations, storytelling and teaching phonological skills; reduce achievement gaps with more time for targeted support; improve math skills with more opportunities for problem solving; enhance social and emotional learning by fostering relationships; and support working families by allowing parents to have more time to work. The idea behind the multi-age programs, for example, is that three year olds will learn from four year olds, and the four year olds will build confidence by helping the three year olds as well as preparing for kindergarten.

Long-term benefits are thought to be higher rates of graduation and lower dropout rates in high school, higher achievement in language and math literacy, better outcomes for students after they graduate, be it in education or employment, and a reduction in out-of-district Special Education placements, in part, because interaction with students at early ages helps the staff detect special needs and find in-house programs for those students.

Hart and Adams also said the cost to the City of Everett would be negligible. Although additional furniture and educational materials may be needed, Adams said, regarding staff, “We’d be using current staffing in a different way.”

“The way we’d implement it, there’d be no huge impact on the budget,” Hart added. “We’d see very negligible increases.” However, there would be a need for an additional paraprofessional.

School Committee members were very receptive to the idea. “I’m always in favor of more access,” Ward 2 member Joanna Garron said.

Member at-Large Millie Cardello said the full-day program would be beneficial because “children are eager to learn.”

“This is tremendous,” Ward 5 member and School Committee Vice Chairperson Marcony Almeida Barros added. In discussion of what action the members should take, if any, he recommended the matter be kept on file and listed as an agenda item at the next meeting, based on the impropriety of a vote on the issue being only part of the Superintendent’s Report on the January 20 agenda.

Steps after an anticipated approval will be ongoing meetings with staff members on the programs, soliciting applications from families in March and holding a lottery for slots in May, if necessary, the results of which would be announced in June.

Adams also said the School Department will help families document their residency in the City for eligibility. “We don’t want to turn anyone away,” Adams said.” We want to make sure everyone has a slot.”