To better serve the early learning needs of young children in St. Paul, SPPS and Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties Head Start program are partnering to open more Pre-K programs for 4-year-old children at three SPPS elementary schools in fall 2023: Eastern Heights, EXPO and Highwood Hills. This partnership is a mixed-delivery model, which means that both organizations will pool funds and resources to provide children with a high-quality Pre-K education. 

The expansion of the SPPS-Head Start partnership is aligned with Governor Walz’s vision to provide Minnesotans with a mixed-delivery program model to broaden Pre-K access for families and provide young children with a “world-class education.” In addition, through this partnership, SPPS will become a leader in the state by moving beyond leasing space and sharing a few resources with Head Start to co-creating a high-quality program that provides St. Paul children and families with a seamless early learning experience. 

Combined with the new Nature Discovery Pre-K announced earlier this year, these two early learning programs will increase SPPS’s Pre-K capacity by more than 10% (a total of 160 additional seats across four schools).

Learn more about the Head Start partnership, including the locations, funding and staffing information, in the FAQ on the Office of Early Learning website. Staff at the participating schools will receive more information on Monday.