Monday, February 13, 2017
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown City School District’s kindergarten registration starts March 6, but it’s not too early to start thinking about it.
“Just like our expanded preschool, YCSD’s kindergarten has a lot to offer young children,” said Krish Mohip, chief executive officer of the school district.
Parents can learn about some of those amenities in a series of meetings beginning today.
About 450 children are enrolled in the district’s preschool, which expanded to full-day, five days per week this year.
Mohip and other district officials hope those children all continue in YCSD in kindergarten and throughout their school careers.
“We have a lot of services for students and their families throughout early childhood and beyond,” Mohip said. “They’ll be able to learn about some of that at our community meetings. Much of what we offer isn’t available in other Mahoning Valley school districts. It’s a new day in Youngstown City Schools, and I think parents will want their children to be a part of it.”
Some of those offerings include a one-student-one-device initiative, which begins this year; expansion of a United Way program to all district elementary schools; and an after-school program for younger children that increases instructional time. Even more programs and services are planned.
“And it’s all free to students and their families,” Mohip said.
As most of the preschool classes are in school buildings in the neighborhoods they serve, by registering their children in the city schools as kindergarteners, parents ease their children’s anxiety. Most of them will stay in the school where they attended preschool.