2023-2024 Preschool Lottery
Link for Lottery Enrollment will be posted 3/30/23
The South Portland School Department is pleased to open the preschool lottery for 2023-2024. We anticipate 48 spaces for children in this program. Children who will be 4 years old by October 15, 2023 are eligible to enter the lottery. The program is Monday-Friday from 8:30-1:30 pm. To receive state funding 60% of the students must qualify for free or reduced-priced meals, and 15% must qualify for Child Development Services (CDS). We provide bus transportation to students from the Skillin, Brown and Kaler school districts. We are unable to guarantee transport to or from day care centers.
The lottery will open March 30, 2023, and applications must be received by Thursday, April 14, 2023 for consideration in the first round. Students who receive a slot will be notified by mail no later than May 1, 2023. Students who have submitted an application by the April 14 deadline and are placed on a waitlist will also be notified by mail, email or phone call no later than May 1, 2023. Please do not call the office for the lottery results prior to May 1. If your application is selected, you will be given instructions on how to formally register your child for the upcoming school year. To secure your child’s spot in our Preschool program, you must complete the formal enrollment process prior to May 19, 2023. If this registration deadline is not met, you will be added to the waitlist again.
Sample Daily Schedule:
- 8:30 a.m. Arrival & Movement
- 8:40 a.m. Let's Find Out About It/Let's Talk About It
- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast/Snack
- 9:30 a.m. Morning Meeting
- 9:45 a.m. Center Time
- 10:55 a.m. Songs, Word Play & Letters
- 11:20 a.m. Lunch
- 11:55 a.m. Story
- 12:15 p.m. Small Groups
- 12:25 p.m. Closing Circle
- 12:35 p.m. Outside Play
- 1:30 p.m. Dismissal
Our preschool classrooms are located at Kaler Elementary School. We currently have three classrooms with 16 children in each room. Each classroom has an Early Childhood Teacher and one Educational Technician. We use OWL (Opening the World of Learning) as our curriculum. OWL covers all aspects of development and its activities meet the learning needs of four-year-old children. The daily routine is well-balanced between teacher-led whole groups and Center Time when children can choose a variety of learning areas to participate in for as long as they want. Teachers will collaborate with CDS, the South Portland School Department and families to review progress and individual needs for children prior to their transition to kindergarten.