Requirements & Policies

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

Important Lafayette Parish Early Childhood Pre-K Program Information

Eligible Residents: Any student residing within the Lafayette Parish School System may apply.

Entrance Requirements: Student must be 4 by September 30 of the enrolling school year.

Policies:

Acceptance

Pre-K is not a universal or mandatory program. Seats are limited and acceptance is based on the number of seats available. Priority is given to grant qualifying students.

Attendance/Tardiness

The Early Childhood Program is funded by Title 1, LA-4, SPED, 8(g) grants and the LPSS General Fund. The majority of this funding is based on student attendance. If your child has excessive unexcused absences your child may be at risk of losing his/her position in the program. Tardiness should be kept to a minimum. Teachers are actively engaged in opening activities at the beginning of the school day and it is important that every child is exposed to a structured, learning routine. A doctor's excuse is required for an excused absence. We follow the LPSS Attendance Policy for excused and unexcused absences. A child is considered habitually absent or habitually tardy after the 5th unexcused absence or fifth unexcused check-in or check-out within any school semester. A habitually truant child can be found delinquent and subject to Juvenile Court intervention.

Dress Code

The Early Childhood Program follows the dress code established by the Lafayette Parish School Board. The specifics can be found in your LPSS Handbook. Belts do not have to be worn by Preschool or Kindergarten students. Students are not allowed to wear open-toe shoes. Please check with your individual school for more details.

Tuition

Parents who do not fall within the income guidelines and if seats are available, will be required to pay a tuition fee of $3,744.00 for the school year or monthly per the payment schedule.

Payment Schedule:

Nine monthly installments of $416.00 due the first school day of each month starting September through May.

Over income students with an IEP will be pro-rated based on their Special Education minutes.

Your child will lose his/her position in the program if tuition is not paid. A tuition agreement form must be completed at registration. Tuition is tax-exempt and receipts will be issued after each monthly payment.

Transportation

Upon acceptance into the program, an online transportation form will be available. For transportation concerns, please contact the transportation department at 337-521-7447. Please notify your child's teacher of any changes.

Emergency School Closure

The Early Childhood Program abides by the same rules as the Lafayette Parish School System. When school closures are announced, the program will close as well. LPSS uses PACE as a means of mass communication. It is important for the school to have a current working phone number on file.

Special Education

We offer educational evaluation services for children ages three through five years who may have special needs. We have a variety of classroom settings to meet different needs: regular, self-contained, inclusion, and Low Incidence. Our goal is to provide information to parents and educators which will assist in future educational programming.

Parental Involvement

Several parental involvement activities will take place throughout the school year. Near the end of the school year, preschool students and their parents will have an opportunity to participate in transition activities with their assigned kindergarten school site. We encourage parents to take advantage of this opportunity. Lafayette Parish School System encourages parent involvement. We value the importance of working together to meet the needs of your child. Please check with your school for the policy and procedure to follow concerning visits to the school and classroom.

Medical Concerns:

Vision and Hearing Screenings

All Early Childhood students will undergo a vision and hearing screening. Parents will be notified by letter concerning the scheduled dates. If a child is referred for further vision or hearing screening(s), a referral letter will be sent home requesting a follow-up appointment with a physician. A copy of the completed physician's form needs to be returned to school for your child's records.

Medication Administration

The Early Childhood Program abides by the Lafayette Parish School System's medication policy for administering medication. If there are additional questions, please call 521-7281. Please check with the office at your child's school for pertinent information and forms.

Allergies

Many of our students have food allergies. Forms are available at the school for a special diet plan. The forms require a doctor's signature. If your child has an epi pen, it must remain on the school's campus at all times.

Immunizations

If your child takes additional shots during the school year, please send a copy of the updated shot record to school with your child. It will be placed in his or her file.