COUPEVILLE: Transitional kindergarten program is coming to town

Luisa Loi reports from the Coupeville School District board meeting of Thu., May 30, 2024 for the Whidbey News-Times.

The Coupeville School Board unanimously approved the introduction of the district’s first transitional kindergarten program at no cost for families during a meeting on Thursday.

Transitional kindergarten would help children who need additional preparation before entering kindergarten, children who have special needs or are learning English and children who simply aren’t enrolled in preschool due to costs or lack of availability. They would be in the care of a general education teacher and a classified paraeducator.

They Said It

The transitional kindergarten program comes with many benefits, according to Superintendent Steve King.

“The post-pandemic effects of reduced social skills, heightened behavioral challenges and overall students entering kindergarten less prepared for kindergarten has demonstrated an additional need in our community for preschool,” King wrote in an email…

Students would also have access to transportation, breakfast and lunch, as well as access to the same specialists as kindergarten students, according to a memo sent by King.

King wrote the cost of the program, including the cost of a teacher and a paraeducator (who are already working for the district), curriculum and other “miscellaneous items” will be funded by the state’s prototypical funding model, which recently added funding for transitional kindergarten.

For each student enrolled, the Coupeville School District receives a minimum of $13,000 in apportionment dollars, according to the memo.