Stepping Stones Preschool began operations at the newly reopened May Elementary School on Aug. 19, Rochelle Elementary School District officials said.

Stepping Stones Preschool, previously inside Lincoln Elementary School, served 180 students and had a waiting list of about 40 kids last year. The district received a preschool-for-all grant for two years (fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026) that made it consider expanding its offerings and led to the May School location at 1033 N. Second St.

May School was closed by the school board before the 2021-2022 school year as the district shifted to an attendance center model due to declining enrollment and an increase in the district’s dual language program, which was previously only offered at Lincoln and Central elementary schools. The district was facing a half-full May School before the decision was made.

Stepping Stones Preschool has been expanded to seven classrooms at May School. There are morning and afternoon classes.

“I am so proud of how things are going. It has truly been better than expected,” said Yazmin Nambo, director of Stepping Stones Preschool. “While there are some minor adjustments we still need to make, overall things are going well – and that is a direct reflection of the dedication and care of our staff. Our parents have also made the transition to the new school great by being so supportive and responsive, which makes all the difference for our students.”

The district has revamped classrooms, bathrooms and offices to make the building work for a preschool, Nambo said. Parking has also been created for staff and the administration expects to have a playground ready by mid-September.

Nambo said the district’s maintenance and technology departments have been hard at work behind the scenes to make sure everything at the school is functional for staff and students to receive the best preschool experience possible.

“To support our growing program, we added another classroom and teacher to serve more preschoolers,” Nambo said. “We also added a support specialist to help with screeners, workshops, and our Birth-to-three classes. We currently have 190 students enrolled, with two on the waiting list and about 15 more to be screened.”

The district was excited to put May School back into service and serve more preschool learners and families in the community. The expansion is a move in the direction of potentially expanding district services for children from birth to three years old in the future.

The expansion’s future will depend on whether the district continues to receive the grant. District Assistant Tony Doyle said that May School is already planned to serve multiple purposes for the district.

“Having May School be the new location for our Stepping Stones program has led us to classroom expansion, which adds 40 more students a day, an inside and outside place space and more space for specialized services,” Doyle said. “May School will also house maintenance resources and personnel, technology workroom/storage and eventually the district’s main kitchen for food services.”