Eight years ago, a contingent of city leaders visited High Point to announce their plan to ask voters to approve taxpayer funding to create the Seattle Preschool Program. At that event, the aspiration was to serve “2,000 children in 100 classrooms by 2018.” The program is moving a little slower than that, arriving at 2,000 kids this year, but continuing to grow. Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Department of Education and Early Learning director Dr. Dwane Chappelle announced seven more classrooms and room for 144 more kids next year, bringing enrollment to 2,144, and aiming for 2,500 by 2026. Funding now comes from an expanded levy that also includes college funding, 2018’s Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy, and enables free tuition for many families. One of the expansion classrooms next year will be at a site that’s already part of the SPP, the Refugee and Immigrant Family Center Bilingual Preschool on Delridge.

Today’s announcement also served as a reminder that applications are open for next school year – you can go here to find out about locations and applications. If you need language assistance, you also can call 206-386-1050 or email preschool@seattle.gov.