SACO — The Saco School Department signed a one-year lease with First Parish Congregational Church for classroom space for part of its expanded Pre-Kindergarten program.

The School Department is expanding its Pre-K program after a successful pilot year during the 2018-2019 school year. About 125 students are enrolled for the upcoming school year, which starts Sept. 5. There will be both full-day and half-day sessions.

The School Department had to scramble to find space for the Pre-K program after it was ordered by the city to vacate a facility at 5 Willey Road, where it had intended to house all Pre-K classes.

The department had signed a 10-year lease with the Toddle Inn day care company for the building which had previously housed a day care program. The rent would have been $24,000 a month.

However, city officials said the school could not operate at that site, which is located at the Spring Hill Business Park. They said that business park covenants prevent both ownership and use of public schools in the park so the city could not grant the School Department a certificate of occupancy for the building.

The School Board, after an executive session on Wednesday, authorized the superintendent to sign a one-year lease at $3,000 a month with First Parish Congregational Church, UCC, for three classrooms plus an additional room, said School Board member Steve Shiman in an email.

First Parish Congregational Church is located on the corner of Beach and Main streets in Saco. In addition to the three classrooms at the church, the Pre-K program will also utilize two classrooms at the city’s community center at 75 Franklin St. and two classrooms at Young School at 75  Tasker St.

In a letter to parents of Pre-K students last week, Superintendent of Schools Dominic DePatsy said if the lease was approved Wednesday night, staff intended to notify parents the day after to let them know where their child would be attending school and who their teacher would be.

In the letter, DePatsy said that the School Department will continue to work with the city to appeal the decision that prevents locating the Pre-K classes in the former Toddle Inn building.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com