West Orange Is Expanding Free Preschool For Upcoming Year

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Free preschool continues to grow in West Orange.

The West Orange Public School District is adding hundreds of new preschool seats for 2023-2024, administrators recently announced.

The district was one of several in New Jersey that received a windfall of state aid to create free preschool programs last year, getting almost $1.9 million to help it reach the goal of “providing preschool programming for 90 percent of our 3 and 4-year-old general education population – at no cost to parents – within the next five years.”

The expansion plan is independent of the district's current Preschool Disabilities program at the Betty Maddelena Early Learning Center. Read More: State Aid Will Power Preschool Program In West Orange

As part of Year Two of the district’s plans, West Orange will be adding nearly 200 more general education preschool spots for the upcoming academic year.

Administrators released more information about the expansion on the district website.

Currently Serving

In partnership with local providers, the district is currently serving 150 preschool students across three locations.

• West Orange Early Childhood Learning Center, 242 Main Street, West Orange
• West Orange Community House, 242 Main Street, West Orange
• Montclair Child Development Center (Head Start), 33 Fulton Street, Montclair

Additional Preschool Locations

In partnership with local providers, the district is planning to expand preschool offerings across six different locations for the 2023-2024 school year. The additional preschool locations, pending board approval, will be posted in June 2023. Students will be assigned to the locations by the district.

Preschool Eligibility

• All 3 and 4 year old residents of the West Orange Public Schools are eligible to preregister.
• 3 year old students already enrolled in the preschool program (for both district and private provider classrooms) will be given first priority for 2023-2024 enrollment.
• Remaining preschool seats will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. First come, first served applies to parents/guardians that have fully completed the registration process, to include the submission of all required documentation to the district registration office, as per board policy.

Preschool Pre Registration

Pre Registration will open the week of March 6, commencing with the events listed below.

• Beginning March 6: Online preregistration will open via the preschool website
• March 7 at 6 pm: In-person bilingual preregistration event at Washington Elementary
• March 8 at pm: In-person bilingual preregistration event at Hazel Elementary

The registration process for preschool expansion will be open March 6 until all seats are filled. Parents/Guardians interested in registering their child for preschool will need to:

• Preregister in-person or online
• Schedule a meeting with the district registration office for residency verification and to submit required documentation.
• Students will be assigned to the locations by the district.
• Parents/Guardians eligible for preschool will be notified of placements by June 2023.

Preschool Disabilities Program at Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center / Washington Elementary

Preschool students requiring special services will apply directly to the Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center Preschool Disabilities Program. The preschool disabilities program follows a specialized process. To inquire about or apply to this program, parents/guardians can contact Constance Salimbeno, Principal at csalimbeno@westorangeschools.org or Zulejka Baharev, Director of Special Services at zbaharev@westorangeschools.org.

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