With state money now secured to fund full-day pre-kindergarten, the school district is preparing to welcome upwards of 210 very young students for the 2024-25 school year.
To prepare, school officials are planning to hire 14 teachers, four instructional assistants, two program coaches and two administrators. This fall, the students, ages 3-4, will be based in available classroom space at Sharon Elementary School and Pond Road Middle School.
Schools Superintendent Brian Betze said the state earmarked $2.6 million in the current budget for the full-day pre-kindergarten program. Funds have been used to retrofit buildings to accommodate early childhood education, provide training, develop curriculum and purchase furniture, supplies and other necessities for the 14 designated classrooms.
Beginning this June, the district’s half-day pre-K program will have a full-time option, as the school district prepares to fully launch the program for September.
Betze said the program will receive ongoing state funding each budget year. It will be of no cost to the school district or to families who have children enrolled in pre-K. The program is open to Robbinsville families only.
Each classroom will have up to 15 students. If more students attempt to enroll, the school district will institute a lottery system. In the future, the school district may contract with private child care centers in the community to add more capacity to the pre-K program.
“This is a great opportunity for the school district,” Betze said, noting the state typically earmarks pre-K aid to school districts in poorer socio-economic communities. He said Robbinsville is the first, so-called “wealthy” district to receive state money to fully fund its full-day pre-K program, following the district’s successful application.
Job listings are available online. Pre-school teachers need to be certified; the positions are tenure track.
More infrmation about the program is available on the district’s website at robbinsville.k12.nj.us.
Earlier thos year Giv. Phil Murphy announced additional funding was being made available to allow Lawrence Township and Robbinsville to establish or expand high-quality preschool programs. Lawrence Township is projected to receive $923,486 in funding, while Robbinsville will receive $2,661,014.
The funding is part of a second round for Fiscal Year 2024 that will provide 827 additional preschool seats across 16 school districts in New Jersey. It builds on a $25 million investment announced last October that added 1,715 preschool seats in 26 districts.
“Access to early childhood education helps set the tone for the rest of a child’s educational career by providing innumerable benefits that will follow young learners throughout their lives,” said Murphy in a press release. “From advanced literacy skills to enhanced social and emotional development, access to high-quality preschool programs has a tangible impact on our children.”
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