Seattle's Child

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Seattle Preschool Program approved by Seattle City Council

Photo: Joyce V./Yelp

 

Seattle City Council unanimously approved Seattle's Preschool Program Implementation Plan on Monday. Voters green-lighted the program on the November 2014 ballot, where it garnered 69% approval. 

The city will next firm up operational procedures and begin a process to choose providers, which is scheduled to be complete by the end of May. The preschool program will launch in September of 2015. 

More details are outlined in a press release from the City of Seattle: 

The plan details the operational specifics of the program, including provider selection and student enrollment processes, tuition payment calculations, staff education supports, program evaluation, and instructor compensation, among other topics. 

The program will focus on placing classrooms in areas where public elementary schools have records of low academic achievement. It will prioritize the enrollment of four-year-olds over three-year-olds and will provide free tuition for families earning less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Families with higher incomes will pay a progressively higher share based on a sliding scale.

A full summary of the plan is online

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