Free Full-Day Public Preschool

The Jefferson Township School district is proud to offer a free, full day, safe, high quality preschool program for all residents of Jefferson Township.  To be eligible for our program your child must turn 3 or 4 years old by October 1, 2024 and must be a resident of Jefferson Township.  

Students who are currently enrolled in our preschool program are guaranteed a spot for the 2024-2025 school year and do not need to register. Any families that are interested and not currently enrolled in the district’s preschool program who meet the above criteria can apply by following the instructions on this page.

The Jefferson Township Board of Education was recently awarded additional grant funding enabling the further expansion of preschool services for three- and four-year-old children in our school district. Children who are three or four years old before October 1, 2023 and reside in Jefferson Township are eligible for the program.  This funding allows our district to increase the number of students in a full-day preschool program at no cost to parents.

If you are interested in your child attending the full-day program five days a week, please complete this application no later than May 15, 2023.  

Students who are currently enrolled in our preschool program are guaranteed a spot next year.  Any child not already enrolled in the district’s preschool program who meets the above criteria will be entered into a lottery system due to the limited number of seats we have available.  Parents will be notified by May 30, 2023 if their child is selected to participate in the program.  Any child not selected for the program will remain on a waiting list in the event there is an opening in the future.  

If you have any questions or concerns about the program or timelines, please contact the principal of the school where you reside; Ellen T. Briggs School for Lake Hopatcong or Cozy Lake School for Oak Ridge. You may also visit our Preschool website at www.jefftwp.org/preschool for additional information on this exciting opportunity.

The application process for incoming students will begin around May 1, 2023. Details outlining the criteria for new student eligibility and prioritization will be communicated at that time. Students enrolled in the existing program will receive priority registration.

Please do not use the kindergarten pre-registration form for your potential preschooler at this time. 

March 6, 2023 – LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ: Full day public pre-K will be available to even more families in Jefferson Township through additional NJDOE Preschool Expansion Aid (PEA) funding. The Jefferson Township Board of Education received notice of PEA funding in excess of $2.7 million which will support nine additional high-quality preschool classrooms. A high-quality preschool program is defined by a full-day program with a certificated teacher, an aide, and small classes that are inclusive of children with special needs who have an individualized education program.

The announcement of the newly awarded pre-K funds followed Governor Phil Murphy’s 2024 Fiscal Year Budget Address on Tuesday of last week. This news comes amid ongoing budget challenges – Jefferson Township School District’s state aid is being reduced by more than $1.5 million dollars. This represents the sixth year of S-2 cuts totalling more than $33 million to date. While the PEA does not address the issues with the school funding formula, the additional preschool funding is a welcome reprieve from the drastic cuts that the loss of state aid has caused.

Jefferson Township launched Phase I of its expanded preschool program in January of this year. In the fall, the district expects to accommodate more than 200 three- and four-year-olds in the program. The goal for the next two years is to offer free, high-quality, full-day early learning programming to all preschool aged children in Jefferson Township, building a strong foundation for learning and success.

“As a result of this increase in funding, we will be able to provide quality preschool education to more than 200 students of Jefferson. This will undoubtedly provide a solid foundation for our youngest learners with benefits lasting throughout their school careers,” stated Jeanne Howe, Superintendent, upon learning the district will be receiving the funding.

The application process for incoming students will begin around May 1, 2023. Details outlining criteria for new student eligibility and prioritization will be communicated at that time. Students enrolled in the existing program will receive priority registration.

All pre-K classrooms will be located at Ellen T. Briggs and Cozy Lake Elementary Schools. As communicated in November, in order to accommodate the growing number of students, all first grade sections from those schools will relocate to Arthur Stanlick and White Rock Elementary Schools in the fall.

Thank you for your interest in our full-day preschool program.  Additional information on our program, including how to apply for the lottery, will be released in the spring.  Please continue to check back.