Superior School District outlines plan to host state-funded 'Get Kids Ready' full-day preschool

Jennifer Willoughby, the district’s director of early childhood and family education, told the board Jan. 12 that the state-funded 'Get Kids Ready' preschool program will allow four‑year‑olds to attend a full school day at district elementary buildings free of charge. The program is funded through the governor’s biennial budget and administered through the Department of Children and Families, Willoughby said.

Willoughby described several features of the program: children must be 4 by Sept. 1 to be eligible; participating providers are required to offer 437 hours of instruction; teachers for Get Kids Ready are not required to hold a standard teaching license and need only an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. She said $65 million was allocated statewide to support the initiative and that families would not pay fees for the program.

The district will provide classroom space and, in many cases, transportation and lunch. Willoughby said the YMCA has decided to end its district 4K contract for the 2026–27 school year and intends to offer Get Kids Ready at as many elementary sites as it can support; the YMCA will finish its current 4K contract through June 2026. The district reported it sent an interest survey in December that returned 107 responses indicating family interest.

Board members asked about financial and logistical implications. Willoughby and other administrators said the district would forfeit some 4K contract revenue but is not expecting a large revenue hit in the short term because the YMCA had relatively few students in the district program this year. The district said it had freed up classroom space by reducing sections at elementary schools and expects to find room at each elementary building, though detailed site logistics have not yet been finalized.

Willoughby said the district and partner providers are still working through operational questions such as shared classroom use, scheduling of morning/afternoon sections, before‑ and after‑school care fees, and transportation. The YMCA‑operated Get Kids Ready classrooms would be adjacent to district 4K classrooms where both programs continue at the same site; children could attend both programs on the same day if families chose to do so.

Next steps: the YMCA will complete this school year’s 4K program through June 2026 while planning for Get Kids Ready in 2026–27; the district will continue to coordinate space, transportation, and partnership details with the YMCA and other local providers.