Yes, but only for 4 4-year-old enrolled preschool students.

Once a student turns 4, they can contact Mrs. Brenda McMurtry (bmcmurtry@dedham.k12.ma.us/781-310-8029), the Childcare Coordinator to see if there are any available spaces or to be placed on a waiting list.

There is absolutely no advantage to submitting an application early.

We would much prefer that you take time and carefully complete the application thoughtfully and thoroughly. You have essentially the entire month of November to do just that.

Due to the structure of the ECEC integrated model described above, there are ALWAYS significantly more typically-developing students applying for admission than there are available seats. A lottery is the simplest and most equitable way to allocate those limited seats.

The lottery is actually a digital, randomized, sequenced list of the names of all children who have applied for admission as of the lottery’s deadline date.

We are not able to give preference to siblings of current ECEC students. All students must be entered into the lottery process.

Unfortunately, no.

On the preschool application form you will be asked to select and rank your top two preferences for preschool programs.

Because of our integrated preschool model, it is impossible for us to pinpoint at lottery time the specific configurations of our classes heading into the following year. That information will not become evident until sometime in the spring once programmatic needs become more apparent for those preschool children with Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs).

A favorable draw in the lottery, therefore, assures a seat but not necessarily your most desired one.

No, any three-year-old who continues in the ECEC preschool program will have a guaranteed spot for the following year.

Since all of the names are sequenced, a waiting list can be immediately constructed.  

This is a very common question and there are a couple of answers.

First, space is a consideration. We only have a designated number of preschool classrooms to house the students.

Second, and more important, if we were to devise a PreK section or sections with strictly typically-developing children, we would have built a de-facto private entity within the Public School.

Preschool programming for typically-developing children is not specifically funded through the district’s educational budget.

ECEC preschool programming is underwritten by the tuition
paid by the families of typically-developing students.

DELTA is a preschool program located in Dedham High School.

Our main mission is to provide excellent early learning and childcare services to the teachers and staff members of the Dedham Public Schools. The DELTA program also has the capacity to accommodate a limited number of students from Dedham families who had applied for seats in the integrated preschool program at the Curran Early Childhood Education Center and were assigned to a waitlist through the ECEC’s annual preschool lottery. DELTA is open (school year only) from 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Students must be picked up no later than 4:00 pm.

Any questions regarding the DELTA program should be directed to Samantha Gentile at 781-310-1033 or sgentile@dedham.k12.ma.us.

The 22-23 tuition for DELTA is: $10,750.00.

Once we have filled our 5 full day lottery placements at the ECEC we will submit the next names on the waiting list to DELTA for placement in their program. (Only if you indicate yes on the application). DELTA goes by the same waiting list as ECEC.

If you do not indicate an interest in DELTA we will not submit your child’s name to DELTA and you will remain on the ECEC waiting list.

You do have the right to refuse a DELTA placement and remain on the ECEC waiting list.

Any questions regarding the waiting list please contact Mrs. Kerrigan at ckerrigan@dedham.k12.ma.us