The Iowa City Community School District recently expanded its preschool program throughout several elementary schools during this school year.

In the past, preschool was only offered at select elementary schools. Now, it is offered at all 20. Lisa Willians, Iowa City schools board member, said the program has seen significant growth, increasing enrollment from 449 preschool students last year to 601 students this year.

The new expansion has not only allowed preschool to be offered at all elementary schools, but it also allowed for further programs to be offered.

The expansion has allowed for more students to attend preschool, as 4-year-old preschool is now offered as a half-day option in every elementary school during the morning. There are also multiple afternoon sessions for a half-day option at Hoover Elementary, Coralville Elementary, Lucas Elementary, Wood Elementary, and several other schools.

Other options include a school-day program from 7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. at several elementary schools. Another option for families is a full day from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The full day is offered at Borlaug Elementary, Kirkwood Elementary, Shimek Elementary, and Wickham Elementary.

The full-day program offers three hours of instruction by a teacher either in the morning or afternoon, followed by an extended-day learning program with the Champions Preschool After-School Program.

According to the Iowa City Community School District’s website, the Champions Preschool After-School Program offers families a reliable place in the elementary school for their students to be before and after their preschool day.

Preschool Program Coordinator Christy Yetley discussed what pushed the district to expand the preschool program.

Yetley said the expansion was created as the district discovered they did not have enough preschool options available for families. To better serve more families, the expansion offers full-day programs and before and after-school care.

“Preschool is an underserved population, and so we wanted to make sure that we didn’t have just a.m. and p.m. programs,” Yetley said.

The program expansion began in August, but Yetley said the district has already received positive feedback in the past few months.

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“We’ve had good feedback on both the full-day programs and the programs that are here for people who have to go into work early or stay late — that’s been beneficial for parents to be able to have that option,” Yetley said. “Overall, the response has been so good that we have started exploring how we could expand further into those full-day programs next year.”

However, the preschool expansion has faced a few challenges as well, Yetley said.

“When you’re expanding your programs, just making sure that you have equity across the district, that each classroom is equipped with the same resources and materials, and that we have and continue to have high-quality teachers in the classroom,” Yetley said.

Ultimately, Yetley emphasized the importance of continuity in learning from preschool to kindergarten within the same building. In addition, the expansion has aided in building relationships between children, families, and the school community.

Williams said the expansion of the preschool program was necessary after already-high enrollment in addition to families on waitlists.

“We recognize that different families need different flexibility and hours for their preschool program,” Williams said. “We’re really trying to meet the families where they are and provide them what they need.”

The full-day preschool program currently has another waitlist, Williams said, indicating a strong demand for these expanded preschool offerings.

Iowa City Community School District Board Member Charlie Eastham said he supported the preschool expansion from the beginning and believes having more students attend preschool benefits their education.

“Kids who have preschool experience with quality instruction do much better throughout their elementary years,” Eastham said. “That preschool advantage stays with them not only throughout their elementary year, but their entire K-12 experience.”

Despite the increased enrollment at elementary schools throughout the Iowa City Community School District, Eastham said other existing child care providers are concerned about the potential loss of enrollment at their facilities due to the full-day program.

“The existing private providers and nonprofit providers are concerned about that effect upon their enrollment, and we’re engaged in those discussions with those providers to address those issues,” Eastham said.

In the future, Yetley said the district is looking toward expanding the preschool program even further.

The future plans for expansions is still in the beginning stages, Yetley said, but she is looking forward to including more students and teachers in an equitable and engaging environment.