District to consolidate pre‑K and kindergarten at Mark Denman as part of early‑learning plan

Superintendent John Hart presented a plan to consolidate the district’s pre‑K, kindergarten and birth‑to‑3 programs at Mark Denman Elementary beginning next school year, saying the move will create a focused early‑learning center and free space elsewhere for other programs.

Hart said the consolidation would place roughly 13 kindergarten classrooms at Mark Denman, create room for a transitional kindergarten, and relocate some preschool classrooms now housed at Edison and other schools. He described the change as educationally driven — to “create a transitional kindergarten” and improve instructional continuity — while acknowledging “there is a financial savings to this” but that cost reduction was not the primary motive.

The superintendent explained how special‑education placements would be redistributed: Mark Denman will host at least one cross‑categorical kindergarten special‑education classroom, three life‑skills classes and additional self‑contained spaces in other buildings. Meadow Park, Liberty and Southwest will see adjustments in the number and type of special‑education rooms so students are closer to home when possible, Hart said.

Hart also outlined operational benefits: grouping pre‑K and kindergarten together makes professional development, staff evaluations and scheduling easier, and it allows the district to put some preschool and kindergarten students on the same buses for state reimbursement. He said that while the district has not decided to purchase or leave the North Campus property formerly associated with a partner clinic, Mark Denman will serve as the centralized site for early learning next year.

Board members asked for clarifications on classroom counts and special‑education staffing. Hart said some details remain subject to final enrollment numbers and additional planning; he promised further specifics as the district finalizes room assignments and staffing. The presentation closed with the superintendent asking for continued community engagement and noting that the map and planning were intended to keep neighborhood cohorts together when possible.

Next steps: the board will receive follow‑up information and staffing details as the district finalizes its implementation timeline.