During its October School Board Meeting on Oct. 24, the Park City School Board approved Phase Two of the Park City School District’s Preschool Expansion, which expands preschool classrooms at Parley’s Park Elementary and Trailside Elementary, set to open for the 2025-26 school year.Both Parley’s Park and Trailside Preschools will increase their classroom capacity from two to four, allowing for more families to benefit from high-quality early education in Park City, the school district said. The expansion will also introduce a significant change to the current programming: The 3-year-old program will move from two half-day sessions per week to a full five-day option. Additionally, families with 3-year-old children will now have the option to register for the after-school program.To support the expanded programming, the district will add a licensed early childhood coordinator to the preschool team. With the expanded capacity, the number of students served will grow from 156 to over 288.Park City School District will open registration for the expanded preschool program on January 1, 2025, and offer a variety of options for both 3- and 4-year-old kids:4 year olds: Full days, five days per week 3 year olds: Full days, five days per week 4 year olds: Half days, five days per week 3 year olds: Half days, five days per weekClass offerings are subject to adjustment based on enrollment numbers to ensure optimal class sizes and quality instruction, the district said. Park City Education Foundation has supported the expansion effort by providing essential funding to ensure affordability and accessibility for all families. PCSD Preschool started in 2010, with education foundation donors providing the seed funding. Since then, over 2,000 students have gone through the preschool program.Foundation donors provide over $125,000 in funding each year to ensure the Park City School District is able to provide affordable, high-quality preschool for 3—and 4-year-olds, the district said. According to Dan Gallery, preschool director for Park City School District, less than 60% of kindergartners have had access to 4-year-old preschool, and just 20% have experienced 3-year-old preschool.“By passing this expansion, we are providing more children the opportunity for early school and literacy readiness, social skills development, wellness, oral language growth, and essential services for students with disabilities,” said Gallery. “This step forward is vital for fostering a strong foundation that will support our youngest learners throughout their educational journey.”  The post Park City School District expands preschool classroom capacity and support appeared first on Park Record.