Novato Unified to Open 'Integrated Preschool' This Fall

A new preschool program designed to integrate Novato kids with and without special needs is set to open this fall at Hamilton and cater to parents looking for a choice between federally funded programs and expensive private schools.

The announced Friday that it will open its inclusive part-day preschool program in August to serve “a diverse population of students in the need of a quality affordable preschool experience,” according to a release.

Tanya Myers, preschool program manager for the school district, said the new offering is a major step for NUSD.

“If you’re looking for something part time and looking for school readiness, play-based development activities and programs designed for kids to interact with each other, we’re the program to go to,” said Myers, who has two decades of experience in preschools.

The new preschool will be at the site of the existing Novato Early Intervention School at 931 C St., off Main Gate Road in Hamilton. Myers said there will be two new portable classrooms to make room for 12 to 15 children per class each with a certificated special education teacher, an early childhood education teacher and an aide.

“In a lot of preschools you go into, you see one teacher and one assistant, but this will be two teachers with specific backgrounds and an assistant,” Myers said. “It’ll be a low ratio of 4 or 5 (students) to 1 (teacher). This is a really big step forward.”

The new school will have students under individual education plans, known as IEPs, mingling with non-IEP kids. Using a method called inclusion in which students with disabilities are brought into general classrooms, the school would be encouraging more understanding about people with differences at an early age.

“The inclusive piece is that nobody’s getting pulled out of another classroom and everybody is benefitting,” Myers said. “What research has shown us … is that an inclusive program is going to be provide social advantages for everybody, not just the kids with special needs. People learn how to get along with each other, learn the value of diversity and learn about cooperation.”

Myers said the school ideally would have a 50-50 mix of IEP and non-IEP kids. Novato Unified employees visited and trained at a large and established integrated program in Napa and learned that “it took them 12 years to get to where they wanted it to be, and now it’s fantastic.”

The school board approved the adoption of the inclusive preschool program at its April 5 meeting and has the backing of acting superintendent Pam Conklin.

“The implementation … will provide our community with more opportunities to participate in affordable, quality preschool programs that ensure children obtain the school readiness skills they need to be successful in our school age programs,” she said in a statement. “Children attending our inclusive preschool will be our future student leaders.”

Myers said children on IEPs receive state and federal funding for their education and parents of non-IEP kids will pay $200 to $325 depending on the amount of hours of instruction.

For more information, see the attached flier.