New state preschool program coming to Salinas City Elementary School District
SALINAS, CALIF. (KION-TV)- Preschools in the Salinas City Elementary School District will be expanding starting this summer.
The district is now taking enrollment for a new program called the State Preschool Program which welcomes students locally and across the county according to Preschool Program Coordinator Denise Noel.
“We serve three and four year olds at eight of our school sites here within Salinas City Elementary,” Noel said. “We have part time and most recently we added full-time slots. Families just need to live in Monterey County. So if they're coming from South County and working here in Selena's, they can qualify to bring their child to our program.”
As far as the funding to start this new program Noel said, “So the preschool program is funded by the state of California, California State preschool program.”
A program like this could attract a lot of families to bring their children to the district, which can raise concerns about classroom sizes and if there will be enough room.
Fortunately the district has some plans in place according to Director of Curriculum and Instruction Juan Garcia
“We have space available, so there's no problem with that,” Garcia said. “And we're looking at opening up more of the day preschools, eight more next year and then another eight more in the following year. So we have plenty of room.”
Some parents like Christina Hernandez have seen improvements with their children coming to preschool and are excited to see more classrooms open for young kids.
“I think starting at an early age really benefits these kids, especially with the teachers here, all the staff here,” Hernandez said. “I feel like there's a supportive learning environment here. So teachers really get the kids to get to their full potential. And I mean, my son is doing really well from the beginning till now, there's a big advancement.”
The district also says that by the 2025-2026 school year, this program will have expanded to eight different locations.
