The Forecaster reported, “Cumberland-North Yarmouth district goes back to school with Wilson building study,” but did not address why the district chose to start a new public pre-K program during a time with such a shortage of space. The pre-K bill that passed in the Maine Legislature this year, LD 1043 (An Act To Establish Universal Public Preschool Programs), requires that each district offers some type of publicly funded pre-K by the 2023-24 school year. There was not a requirement to begin a program yet and the state is asking all districts to work with their local early educators.

If there is a plan to grow public pre-K, why hasn’t the superintendent created educational partnerships with community-based early childhood programs, which is encouraged by the Department of Education, to offset the current space shortage? Cumberland and North Yarmouth can implement public pre-K in a way that supports young children and families, when the school district develops a strong partnership with the high-quality programs in our community. These partnerships can ensure that public pre-K is offered in a variety of settings, so that families have choices, including full-day classrooms and programs. Partnering with the childcare programs in our towns also ensures that educators are trained in early learning that is grounded in child development and can support the district’s early childhood focus.

Karen Bruder
Cumberland