Free Preschool Program Expands In Montclair: How To Enroll

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District is expanding its free preschool program, administrators announced Monday.

The district will be increasing the number of classrooms involved in the program from 11 to 19 for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. The full-day program serves children ages 3 to 4. All students must be Montclair residents and 3-years-old by Oct. 1, 2024.

The program – which also has a new name: the “Mini-Mounties” – is funded by the New Jersey Preschool Expansion Grant. Tuition is free for eligible families. See Related: $970K In State Aid Powers Free Preschool Program In Montclair

Montclair’s preschool program extends beyond a single location. Currently, classrooms are located at six providers in the township (see the list here).

Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12. Applications will be considered in the order they are received. If there are more applicants than open spots, students will be placed on waiting lists for all ranked locations, administrators said.

To ensure socioeconomic diversity, priority will be given to children who qualify for free and reduced lunch and/or income driven scholarships, school administrators said.

The district has rolled out a website where interested parents and guardians can learn how to enroll students, eligibility criteria and more. Access it online here.

School administrators will be holding a virtual information workshop for the expanded pre-K program at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13 (click here to access it). Questions can be submitted to minimounties@montclair.k12.nj.us until Dec. 11.

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