Waltham board approves preschool startup for 2023-24 school year

The Waltham Elementary School Board approved a preschool startup for the 2023-2024 school year during Wednesday’s board meeting.

With the new program, the school in Utica will offer one class with two sessions a morning and an afternoon class with a max of 15 to 20 students per session.

There will be a dual-certified teacher in early childhood education and special education, and two paraprofessionals. The total estimated cost to start the program is $182,586.

Waltham has four pre-kindergarten students who will need a program for the next school year.

Waltham Superintendent Kristi Eager said the cost of sending students to outside programs is about $23,000 per student and depending on the number of students needing a program that cost could be upwards of $100,000 annually.

Eager said the school would be cost shifting the funds from spending them with Wallace.

“It’s just a cost shift,” she said. “It’s the cost of your teacher. It’s the cost of your paraprofessional. And then there isn’t an added cost to the transportation because we would have to run one middle route, a midday route in the middle of the day.”

Eager agreed the board could structure the program the way it felt was best and said the district could put its in-district students’ tuition at no cost.

“If you don’t fill all of your spots and you have room, we can take out-of-district kids and they can pay tuition,” Eager said. “We can structure it however we want.”

The motion was approved 5-2. Board members Nicole Mertes and Brian Phillips opposed.

Mertes voiced her concerns over implementing a pre-k program citing the expense, but she said she would support whatever decision was made.

“I just want to be clear I’m not against it,” Mertes said. “I’m not against the opportunity to eventually have it – you know we talked about building on too and it’s just for me- it’s too much, so I’m going to pull back a little bit. I want it to be known that I would like to see it in the future.”

Eager said details needed to be worked out, but the board needed to make a decision so, the district could move forward.

“Wallace is waiting on us to make a decision,” Eager said. “I need to find out to get those numbers, who’s interested in sending their kids here. So we need to get information out to our community.”

Eager said there will be continued discussion with the board about the preschool program. The district’s administrative team will be developing the structure and making the recommendation to the board.

Waltham Elementary School Board will meet again 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17.