Starting in the fall, St. Patrick Catholic School will still offer its popular Gingerbread Preschool program, but the Perry Community School District’s withdrawal from the partnership means the school will no longer be a free, half-day Universal Preschool program.
After 15 years of partnering with St. Pat’s, the Perry school system is moving to centralize its preschools at the Perry Elementary School.
Recognizing the importance of early childhood education and the continuing need to offer preschool in Perry, St. Pat’s is seeking a license from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services in order to continue operating the Gingerbread Preschool as a preschool childcare site.
St. Patrick Catholic School Principal Dr. Kandice Pattillo said the Gingerbread Preschool’s new structure will be a full-day, five-day-a-week offering for up to 17 students. Students will still have academic learning through centers in literacy, mathematics and science, she said, and the program will also have faith-based learning that aligns with the curriculum used in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Tuition for the preschool will be $150 per week. Pattillo said tuition assistance programs and future funding opportunities are being sought.
“This licensure will open up future funding opportunities and will continue to show the high-quality program in place at the school,” said Pattillo. “We’d love to have families tour or inquire about our new opportunity and to learn just what St. Patrick School is about!”
Registration in English and registration in Spanish are both available online.
