SACO – As budget season begins, the Saco School Board presented an additional request for the 2019-2020 school budget; an expanded pre-kindergarten program.

The pre-kindergarten program began in 2018-2019 and filled immediately to capacity with 64 students in full and half-day programs. The expanded program is proposed to include an additional 64 students.

The pre-kindergarten program is open to all children who will be 4 years old on or before Oct. 15, 2019. The program offers both full- and half-day programs, with the full day program taking place from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and half-day programs offered either in the morning from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. or in the afternoon from 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. All three programs operate Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and with an abbreviated schedule on Wednesdays to accommodate for professional development for staff.

The increase of students will require outfitting four new classrooms on the Young School campus, moving the program from its current home at Saco Recreation Department on Franklin Street.

The expansion of the pre-kindergarten program will require an additional $810,000 in the 2019-2020 budget. Contribution from the state’s Essential Programs and Services would be $520,000 for the additional 64 students.

Funding subsidies exist to encourage more schools to provide programs to advance the learning of students in Maine. According to a study conducted by Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy in April 2017, students who participate in pre-kindergarten programs are better equipped for kindergarten and beyond. According to the study, children who attend pre-kindergarten programs are more ready for school and show improvement in areas of numeracy and literacy.

According to the budget presentation brought to the school board during a Jan. 30 meeting, by the second year of the expanded program, the projected subsidy provided by the state of Maine for continuing the pre-kindergarten program will supplement the school board operating budget by $84,000.

Superintendent Dominic DePatsy called the pre-kindergarten program “very successful.” Expanding the program was met with mostly approval by the school board.

Board Vice Chairman Lynn Leary said she was concerned over the removal of two modular buildings on Young School grounds and the class space they currently provide. DePatsy assured her that existing programs inside the buildings can be accommodated elsewhere in the school. The school board will receive a subsidy of $8 per square yard for the classroom lease, totaling $40,000 annually.

While the total cost of providing the expanded pre-kindergarten program is a requested budgetary addition of $842,000, the Maine subsidy for adding the addition two half-day programs will award the program $766,000, which will ensure that additional cost to taxpayers for the 2019-2020 budget will be minimal.

The increase to the budget will include staff positions necessary for the expansion, including a program director, two teachers, two education techs, a program secretary as well as a cost for acquiring a substitute if necessary. The faculty additions account for $590,000 of the projected budget request.

The pre-kindergarten program began last year for the 2018-2019 school year, offering one full-day classroom and two half-day classrooms. The school department proposed the initial request during April of last year, suggesting the school system join neighboring municipalities such as Biddeford and Kennebunk in adding a pre-kindergarten program to the curriculum. The pre-kindergarten addition to the budget was $287,000, with an additional $40,000 for transportation.

According to information provided to parents on the pre-kindergarten website, the program is considered play-focused and boasts small classrooms, with one teacher and one assistant teacher for every 16 students.

Parents who wish to enroll their child in the Saco pre-kindergarten program can find more information and a pre-registration form on the school department website at sacoschools.org.

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@inthecourier.com.