BRUNSWICK

The Brunswick School Department enters the new school year with an eye toward the development of its youngest students.

The district is considering adding pre-kindergarten classes at the new Kate Furbish Elementary School when it opens in September 2020.

A survey is circulating among the district’s families to gauge interests and assess needs, and the district is forming a task force to plan the potential addition.

“We’re going to have four new classrooms in the new school that’s set to open in 2020,” said Superintendent Paul Perzanoski. “I don’t know if all those classrooms will be used for pre-K yet.”

The new school will be built at the site of the shuttered Jordan Acres School, which will be demolished to clear the way for the new building.

Perzanoski said the district has been considering pre-K since 2011, and that the new school will open up enough additional space to make it possible.

Administrators say the benefits of adding pre-K are well documented.

“All of the research will show you it’s the biggest bang for your buck when you talk about the benefits,” said Perzanoski.

“One of the biggest benefits is the social-emotional aspect,” said Coffin Elementary School Principal Steve Ciembroniewicz. “There’s a lot of work on the social and emotional services for the students. I know that’s one of the main advantages to preschool.”

Aside from educational benefits, such as a jumpstart on reading, Ciembroniewicz believes the work on social skills leaves students better prepared for kindergarten. Research on the subject of pre-K also points to a number of longterm benefits for students.

Educational Researcher, an academic journal, compiled the results of 22 studies and found participation in pre-K programs results in an 8.1 percent reduction in special education placement, and that the chances of graduating from high school were 11.3 percent higher among students who went to pre-K.

During the process, Brunswick will have other local districts to learn from. Maine School Administrative District 75 went through the process of starting a pre- K program last year that opened this fall.

MSAD 75’s program is broken up into two classrooms, one at Williams-Cone Elementary School and one through the Brunswick Head Start program, with 16 students in each classroom. The district received about $265,000 in state subsidy to fund the startup.

“We’re actually very fortunate,” said Ciembroniewicz. “We have people that worked on the SAD 75 process in our district.”

It’s still early in the process, and unclear whether Brunswick will immediately use all of the new space to accommodate pre-K. Perzanoski didn’t rule out the possibility of a pilot program beginning before the fall of 2020. With a morning and afternoon program, the new school could serve up to 120 pre-K students.

“Starting off with 120 right away is unlikely,” said Ciembroniewicz. “We’re more likely to work our way up to 120 students.”

Perzanoski said the district plans to meet with local daycares to discuss the plans, with the idea of making them aware of potential hours and services that may be needed in the community.

Studies say

• EDUCATIONAL Researcher, an academic journal, compiled the results of 22 studies and found participation in pre-K programs results in an 8.1 percent reduction in special education placement, and that the chances of graduating from high school were 11.3 percent higher among students who went to pre-K.

chris@timesrecord.com

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