pre-K options in Des Moines suburbs (Urbandale, Johnston: day care, school districts, vs)

[akb2010]

Hi, we're going to be relocating to Des Moines from overseas and are looking for a pre-K program for our children. We're looking for more of an academic setting vs child care and we'd prefer an all-day program in a public school setting (the kids will be going to public school and we'd like to minimize the number of transitions/new settings).

We're lookng at the urbandale school system, so any info on the pre-k options in that district would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.

[capitalcityguy]

I highly doubt you're going to find all-day pre-K, but instead you're going to have 1/2 day pre-k with the other half day care. Kids that age are not up for all-day learning from everything I've read and thus I don't think anyone offers full day pre-K. It has just been the last few years that area shools have gone to full-day Kindergarten. Our 4 year-old daughter went to Johnston (right next to Urbandale) pre-K class last year. For kids that didn't have another option for the other 1/2 day, the same facility offered daycare for the other 1/2 of the day.

[DRCinIA]

Capitalcityguy is correct, you probably will not find all day pre-k in the public schools. With the current statewide voluntary preschool program, you will find some daycare centers that have partnered with the school districts. The children attend a 2 1/2 to 3 hour pre-k program either morning or afternoon with regular daycare the rest of the day. The teachers in the state funded preschool part of the day hold Iowa teaching certificates with an endorsement in prekindergarten. The teachers in the community partners pre-k classrooms hold the same credentials as those teaching at the public schools. Des Moines Public Schools and Johnston both have community partners that are daycare centers. I'm sure other districts do also.

I'd contact Urbandale schools to find out if they offer all day, but I haven't heard of that option.

[akb2010]

Thanks to both of you for the replies. We've found the situation as described--half-day pre-k with day care attached in some cases. At this point, we haven't found any vacancies in the programs attached to school districts, so we're looking at the private schools. The programs look excellent, so not too surprising that they're all filled up. Thanks again for the information.

[missingpattaya]

Johnston has all day preschool.

Johnston Community School District