This is a PDF of the 2024-25 PreK contract packet for all three Addison County districts (Addison Central SD, Addison Northwest SD, and Mount Abraham USD). A checklist on the front page of the contract will help you keep track of what you need to get and where to send it. A program handbook is included for ease of use.

Please note that:

1. ONE contract will be mailed to Addison Central SD for signature by ALL THREE districts, along with certain contract paperwork.

2. Applications and residency documents will be mailed to the child's district of residence. I do recommend keeping program copies of these materials.

3. You only need to mail back the "contract" portion of the contract (numbered pages 2-3 plus the site attachment).  The rest is included for your information and ease in locating.

4. Insurance paperwork will need to have all three districts named

5. The contract requires a sample tuition statement or annual contract with families due to ongoing questions and concerns raised by families.  An example is attached which you may modify to meet your needs or use your own form.

6. The contract requires a copy of the program calendar marking which weeks are "PreK" if your calendar substantially differs from the school year calendar. If you use the school calendar, please note that.

7. Please review the insurance requirements carefully to be sure you have the minimum coverage amounts including sexual abuse/misconduct coverage.

8. Paper copies of the contract are preferred, but the handbook should be digital.

Although we expect to get many contracts and applications this spring, please don't worry if you haven't heard from us about them until late summer; it is hard to process them until we have a sizeable number and the current school year is complete.

Families should first enroll in the prequalified PreK program of their choice, then complete the 2024-25 PreK application for tuition funding from the schools.

Completed applications should be returned to the family's resident school district by July 1st in order to receive timely tuition payments. Although we expect to get many contracts and applications this spring, please don't worry if you haven't heard from us about them until late summer; it is hard to process them until we have a sizeable number and the current school year is complete. Funding is NOT competitive.

For questions related to the completion of this application, please refer to the FAQs

Attendance will be entered into a spreadsheet shared with your program as part of the invoice templates. All enrolled children will be pre-enrolled by the district on the Enrollment tab of your invoice/attendance forms. 

Attendance may be completed on a daily, weekly, or monthly time frame, but must be up-to-date on the due dates listed in the contract (additional dates may be required depending on changes at the state level). Late attendance entry could impact the timeliness of invoice payments.

The Universal PreK Coordinator regularly runs attendance reports. Consistent preschool attendance has been connected to learning outcomes. Chronic absenteeism is particularly problematic within the context of Vermont's early childhood system as we have limited capacity to serve all children. Please note that you must notify the Universal PreK Coordinator in writing when a child has been absent from PreK for more than 2 consecutive weeks or an average of one PreK day/week over the course of two months. You should also communicate in writing to the family that they risk the loss of PreK funding, and where necessary develop a plan with the family and District for attendance and tuition payment proration.

Report a child's move, exit from your program, or other change of enrollment using this form.  

If the child is leaving your program but continuing in a Vermont PreK program, consider whether you need to request a transfer of the child's TS Gold records from your program to the new program.  This form will be sent to the Vermont Agency of Education, but is included below for your convenience.

Programs may use the provided invoice template or create their own invoices. Prior to submitting invoices, the PreK program should check PowerSchool to ensure that all students are listed as enrolled and none have exited.

Each program will have a customized, prepopulated invoice template in Google Sheets for each District from which they have enrolled children.  The form will be created by the UPreK Coordinator and sent to each program in the late summer when applications are nearly final, and each program will need to cross-reference that with their enrollment list to ensure accuracy. 

Please see the handbook in the contract packet above for this year's due dates, payment dates, and amounts.

Form for Preschool teachers to send to Kindergarten teachers to update regarding child strengths and individual needs.  Due back to schools in mid-April. 

• The form can be completed electronically by going to File->Make a copy and completing/ saving for each child. 

• Teachers only need to complete the first 2 pages (1 front and back) for most children.

• The second section (p3) is only for children who require classroom accommodations in order to access or participate in preschool activities with their peers (e.g. children with an IEP or children who require additional accommodations for health or behavioral needs).

• The K transition objectives are tied to developmentally appropriate expectations in VELS and TS Gold, crosswalked here.

• Please consider attaching Sample Student Work (i.e. self portrait, picture of family, written name) AND/OR a photo of the child AND/OR information about their plans.

• All programs are encouraged to discuss and share this form with families. 

Please return to Meg Baker for ACSD, Carolyn Brown for MAUSD/ Lincoln, and Vergennes/ Ferrisburgh for ANWSD children. Addresses at the end. Hard copies preferred!

Programs must report extended or repeated absences to the UPreK Coordinator in writing. Extended absences are when a child is absent for two consecutive weeks of PreK.  Repeated absences are defined as a child absent for an average of 1 PreK day/week over the course of two months (i.e. not regularly attending PreK at least 10 hours/week) – extended child care time is not calculated in absences, nor are days that child is not normally enrolled.

I have tried to compile information and links for program staff hoping to obtain a teaching license with an early childhood education endorsement including the process for provisional licenses, possible coursework and degrees, and  the peer review process. That information is available here. 

PreK programs may not suspend or expel any preschooler in alignment with Act 35 which includes section (d) of 16 V.S.A. § 1162 banning suspension and expulsion of students under eight years old, except in cases of imminent harm or danger to others. AOE memos clarify that this restriction on suspension and expulsion applies to both public and community preschool programs. 

This AOE memo defines PreK suspension and expulsion. In-program suspension is the removal of a child from the classroom to another space  (e.g. director’s office, alternative classroom, other space in building) . Out-of-classroom suspension is the removal of the child from the premises for a period of time and includes asking a child to leave early. Expulsion is the permanent removal of  child from a program and includes asking a child to have permanently shortened days or telling a family that the program is not a good “fit” or does not have the resources to support the child. 

Follow the steps below whenever a child has been suspended or expelled:

1. Within 5 calendar days of the suspension/expulsion, contact the Universal PreK Coordinator and an administrator in the child’s district of residence using the attached form. If the child is protected by an IEP or Section 504, the preschool program must also contact the Director of Student Support Services.

2. Within 5 calendar days of the suspension/expulsion, complete the PreK Suspension and Expulsion Incident Report for the Agency of Education.

3. Special education requirements: if a PreK child on an IEP and receiving special education services is suspended or expelled for more than 10 days (consecutive or cumulative) the LEA must convene a manifestation determination hearing to determine if the removal is considered change of placement for the child. A meeting of the child’s IEP team is required to determine appropriate services and placement.

4. As a best practice, any child who has been suspended (especially more than once) should have a behavior assessment.

The PreK contract specifies program responsibilities and contact points for each SD.  More information is available in the contract packet and from the UPreK Coordinator.

Restraint and seclusion of preschoolers is prohibited. Preschool programs should review the definitions of restraint carefully to ensure they are in compliance. Rule 4500 governs the use of restraint and seclusion in all publicly-funded preschool programs.

If restraint or seclusion occurs, programs must contact the Universal PreK Coordinator before the end of the school day to learn about required reporting procedures.

More information is available in the contract package.

This is a sample tuition information statement that you may use or alter if helpful for your program to explain to enrolled families which weeks, days, and/or hours of PreK attendance are funded by their resident district. Your program is required to provide this information to families.  

You may opt to include this information on an annual or monthly tuition statement and/or program calendar. Programs may designate alternate weeks of PreK than those designated by the District, providing that the total amount of PreK is at least 10 hours/week for 35 weeks, and understanding that payment will be made based on a school year calendar.

Regardless of what system you use, your total tuition for each week should represent the total tuition cost minus the PreK funding.  PreK funding should be applied only to the cost of the 10 hours of PreK, with additional "child care" hours at the rate you have set (which may be different from the PreK tuition rate).  Thus, if a family attends full-time, the PreK funds should only be used for the first 10 hours of their programming.

Please let me know if you have questions related to your individual program's needs.