SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Wednesday that applications for the expanded Seattle Preschool Program are now open.
The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning spent $2 million to expand the program. Seven new classrooms were added to the Seattle Preschool Program.
"We know what this means. It is the upstream work that, quite frankly, as leaders of the city, we have the honor and privilege to do," said Harrell. “This is medicine for the soul.”
The program now has 89 classrooms, including 28 dual language classrooms that offer instruction in a total of eight languages such as ASL, Arabic, and Somali. Three dual language classrooms were added for next year.
The only eligibility requirements for the program is that children going into it must be 3 or 4 years old, and applicants must be a Seattle resident. Certain applicants may receive priority, based on these factors.
With class sizes between 18 and 20, the city hopes to reach roughly 2,200 children in 2023-2024 and 2,500 by 2026.
The program was launched in 2015 as a partnership between the Department of Education and preschool providers. According to the program’s web page, it helps children develop “pre-academic skills” and supports “social-emotional growth” as they prepare for kindergarten.
The program uses data gathered by the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy to create an inclusive and high-quality preschool program. Community-based providers and Seattle Public Schools are both part of the program.
Seattle's expansion of the program may include new Plus classrooms. The Plus is a branch of the program specifically geared toward children with disabilities. While the program is open to all children, Plus offers smaller class sizes and special instruction for students with Individualized Education Programs.
Washington does not offer universal pre-school, unlike some other states including West Virginia and Alabama. The program uses a sliding scale based on household income to determine how much a family will pay. Many households qualify for free tuition through the program, such as a five-person household making $120,000 a year or a three-person household making $85,000. In 2019-2020, 74% of program participants qualified for free tuition.
When asked about Washington providing universal preschool, Harrell said that he hopes Seattle will lead the way for the rest of the state.