Program to begin in September
Haldane plans to begin a pre-K program in the 2025-26 school year, joining the Garrison and Beacon districts.
Children who live in the district and will turn 4 years old on or before Dec. 1 of this year are eligible. If more than 18 students are registered, the district will hold a lottery.
Interim Superintendent Carl Albano said the program had not been offered earlier because of a lack of classroom space, but that changed with relatively low enrollment in the first grade. The district expects to have more space after capital upgrades approved by voters in November.
The pre-K class will have one teacher and one aide at a cost of about $160,000, Albano said. The state provides partial funding of $5,400 per student.
Both Beacon and Garrison also offer state-funded pre-K programs. Registration for Garrison opens Feb. 15; registration in Beacon opens in March.
An orientation meeting for the Haldane program is scheduled for Feb. 12, with a registration deadline of March 31. See dub.sh/haldane-prek.
