SANFORD — Twice as many 4-year-olds will be able to enroll in Sanford School Department’s Pre-Kindergarten program this year than did so during the last school year.

The Sanford School Department is urging parents whose children will be 4 years old by Oct. 15 to download an application for the voluntary program at sanford.org. 

In all, 64 youngsters can be accommodated over three Monday through Friday programs for the school year that begins in September — twice as many youngsters as there were slots for in the school year that just ended, school officials say.

Assistant School Superintendent Matt Nelson said the first two options are a 2.5 hour morning or a 2.5 hour afternoon program at Sanford High School with no income eligibility requirement. Each of those programs can accommodate 16 children.

The third option is a 6-hour, full day program at the York County Community Action Corporation Head Start facility on Emery Street, which will accommodate 32 youngsters. Eligibility for the full day program will be based on income, Nelson said. 

The programs are free; parents must provide transportation to and from the classes for their children.

“Children will participate in age appropriate learning experiences that promote school readiness and support development,” Nelson said in a news release. “The programs will focus on literacy, numeracy and math skills, creativity, health and nutrition and social and emotional development.”

“A successful early learning experience provides the best foundation for our youngest students’ educational careers,” Nelson continued. “I am confident that the expansion of our Pre-K program will have both immediate and long-term positive effects on our students.”

According to 2008 Center for Public Education report, a study conducted in  Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia found that overall, children in state Pre-K posted vocabulary scores that were 31 percent higher and math gains that were 44 percent higher than those of non-participants.

Nelson said Sanford School Department hopes to further expand the state-reimbursed program in the coming years.

“Our goal is to continue to expand and grow the program so when our elementary building project (that was recently approved) is finished resulting in 3 elementary schools throughout the city, each of them can accommodate grades Pre-K thru 5,” Nelson said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].