Pre school questions (Worcester: day care, school district, income)

[Asmara Riaz]

Hi , we moved to Worcester , and my daughter will be 4 year on August 19 2016. I was wondering that when preschool started in Worcester and what will be the criteria? We moved from Colorado, she already attend the preschool over there, but I have no idea how it works here? In Colorado preschool starts at the age of 3. When preschool starts in Worcester? And when starts the kindergarten? Kindly answer my questions. I will be very thankful.

[alidmc]

Pre-school typically starts right around 3 in Mass. I will add that pre-school is offered by public schools and private institutions. You do have to pay for it. The public schools offer a half-day program, while private pre-school is offered by day care centers as well. If you need full day care for your child, it will be more expensive.
You can start by calling your school district for information. You can then research private pre-schools in your area to compare costs, curriculums, etc.
A child usually has to be 5 by August 31 to enter Kindergarten in September. This date can very by district, but is pretty consistent in eastern Mass. Your daughter will be eligible for Kindergarten in September of 2017 based on her birthday.

[MikePRU]

You can certainly check with the Worcester School Department (Worcester Public Schools | T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More). However, generally the way it works in MA is that public preschools start at 3. This being said towns/cities in MA are not required to offer preschool for everyone who wants it and it is not typically free either unless your child has special needs. Therefore, most towns/cities have very small preschools with limited space. The vast majority of people in MA send their child to a private preschool.

Kindergarten starts at age 5. Your child must be 5 years old prior to September 1 in order to start Kindergarten the following academic year.

[Asmara Riaz]

Hi thank you so much for your response. Is it possible that my child can get the pre school enrollment in any public school Worcester, I am okay with half day, I guess pre school is free, it depends on your family size and income.??????

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Asmara Riaz

Hi thank you so much for your response. Is it possible that my child can get the pre school enrollment in any public school Worcester, I am okay with half day, I guess pre school is free, it depends on your family size and income.??????

Your best bet for getting your questions answered accurately and in a timely manner is to call the Worcester School Department. I'm sure there's a phone number in the link I provided above.