Orange Preschool Lottery
“Limited Openings” for 2024-25 Community Peer/Tuition Based Program
The Orange Elementary School System is now accepting names for the “Lottery” for the 2024-2025 Preschool Program at Mary L. Tracy School. Our Special Education/General Education integrated preschool is looking for three- and four-year old children to enroll as community peers and positive role models. This program enriches each child’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive, intellectual, and creative abilities through early academic and social experiences. It is designed to prepare the children for early success and school readiness. By law, students with special needs identified with an IEP are placed in the Preschool Program by the Dept. of Special Services through the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) process and they do not participate in the lottery.
In order to participate in the preschool all children:
- Must be 3 years old but not older than 4 years old by September 1st, 2024;
- Must be toilet trained to attend preschool;
- bona-fide Orange residents only;
- Parents need to provide transportation to and from school for their child.
The Preschool Program follows the district's school year calendar: the AM class is held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and the PM class is held from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Each classroom will be a blend of three- and four-year old children. Class sizes are limited to a total of 12 students per class, which includes our special education students. The total school year cost of tuition for community peers is $3,250 paid monthly, $325 per month. Our fee-based preschool is held 5-days/week, for 3-hrs/day. No transportation is provided for general education community peers.
Community peer children are selected thru the "Lottery”. The lottery is conducted in two stages:
- all names are ‘picked out of a hat’ by age group for the “limited number of available spaces”, with the remaining names drawn and placed on a waiting list.;
- the 2nd drawing decides if your child will attend the AM or PM class to balance each classroom with an equal amount of 3-year old and 4-year old children.
If you wish to have your child participate in the Lottery, please call the Special Services Dept. (203-891-8023) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to place your child on the list. We will be accepting names for the 2024-25 lottery up until 4:00 p.m., Friday, January 26, 2024. Parents will receive a letter with the lottery results thru the US Mail in February, 2024.
Any further questions call the Special Services Dept. (203-891-8023) at the Orange Board of Education.
