Preschool Returns To Chatham Elementary

CHATHAM – For the first time in a number of years, Chatham Elementary School will be hosting its own free, half-day preschool sessions beginning in September. Currently, Chatham parents looking to take advantage of the program must send their youngsters to Harwich Elementary.

“This will be helpful for Chatham families,” Director of Student Services Melissa Maguire said. “Now there’s a preschool right in their backyard.”

Chatham had its own program until 2021, when declining enrollment forced the district to consolidate the preschool program in Harwich. In Massachusetts, preschool enrollments are largely driven by the number of children needing special education services, as identified through early intervention programs. By state law, there must be at least one more non-special-education “peer” student for each special education preschooler. For instance, if there are six special education children, there will be seven additional slots available for peers.

The enrollment each year is difficult to predict, but Maguire said there are currently six Chatham students preparing for enrollment, and more may join based on early intervention information the district receives in January and again in June.

“Four students would be enough from Chatham to open one session,” she said, and there are some Harwich families who said they would prefer their children to attend in Chatham.

In 2021, Chatham’s preschool enrollment had dropped to just two children, making a program at Chatham Elementary unsustainable. Since then, only a small number of Chatham children attended February screenings, “because the program was in Harwich,” Maguire said. She’s hopeful that more Chatham parents show interest this year, knowing the program will take place in town. “It’s something that the Chatham families really, really wanted,” she said.

Free to residents of Chatham and Harwich, Monomoy’s preschool program is focused on 3- and 4-year-old children and provides “high-quality social, language and early academic experiences, which address each child’s individual needs in an emotionally and physically safe environment,” a district press release reads. The program pairs special education youngsters with more typically developing peers who “help to model age-appropriate social, play, language and learning skills,” the district reports.

Does the increased preschool enrollment bode well for Chatham’s general elementary enrollment, which has been declining? There’s no simple answer, Maguire said.

“The trends this past year and this year coming up are certainly hopeful,” she said, noting that the increase doesn’t appear to be a short-term blip. “This will be a good litmus test for our enrollment.” Preschool enrollment is largely determined by the evaluations done by the state’s early intervention program, which suffered during the pandemic.

“Coming out of the third year of COVID, our numbers increased because early intervention wasn’t providing services, because everything was shut down,” Maguire said. The rebound in preschool numbers in Chatham seems to mirror a statewide trend. According to a statewide survey, the licensed capacity of the Massachusetts child care system continues to grow and now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with the capacity to serve 10,602 more children compared to last year, a 4 percent increase. The number of licensed child care programs has also increased, with state officials crediting the Commonwealth Cares for Children grant program, known as C3.

Originally created to distribute federal child care stabilization funds created during the pandemic, C3 was facing the end of that federal funding stream. As part of her fiscal 2024 state budget, Gov. Maura Healy included $475 million to continue funding C3 grants with state funds, a proposal that was supported by lawmakers and ultimately signed into law.

The Monomoy district will hold preschool screenings on Wednesday, Feb. 14 for families interested in enrolling a child. Children who will be age 3 or 4 before Sept. 1 are eligible to enroll. Screenings are by appointment only, and parents are asked to begin the process and schedule an appointment by visiting www.Monomoy.edu/Preschool. Parents with concerns about their child’s development can email Janet Caron at jcaron@monomoy.edu or call her at 508-430-7216 to schedule a screening at any time.

Local parents have a number of options when choosing preschools. Paid private preschools often offer full-day programs, which are most convenient for working parents, and the YMCA also offers a full-day preschool program at Harwich Elementary. Monomoy’s preschool sessions are for a half day and are offered at no cost to district residents. Both Chatham and Harwich offer financial assistance to help families pay for both preschool and daycare.