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. 

Families enrolled in the existing program need not take any further action. Families interested in one of the 35 additional spots should complete this form to be included in a lottery drawing. The completed form must be received no later than Monday, November 28th. Families who had previously registered to be included in the lottery need not reapply.

Registration requirements:

• Student must be a resident of Jefferson Township;

• Student must have turned 3 years old before October 1, 2022

• Student must have up-to-date immunization records, a completed health history form, and a medical examination form to be completed by a pediatrician or health care provider.

Families will be notified via email of the status of their application by December 2nd. 

Families entitled to tuition reimbursement are being contacted separately.

Any questions regarding the program can be directed to the building principals of their respective schools:

Lake Hopatcong: Briggs Elementary School, Mrs. Randi DeBrito rdebrito@jefftwp.org
Oak Ridge: Cozy Lake Elementary School, Dr. Timothy Plotts tplotts@jefftwp.org 

The Jefferson Township Board of Education (JTBOE) is thrilled to announce that our district has been selected as a recipient of funding through the NJDOE Preschool Education Aid (PEA). These funds have been allocated to integrate six high-quality, full-day preschool classrooms right here in Jefferson Township, at no extra cost to taxpayers. 

The program is scheduled to begin on January 3, 2023. Our staff has been working behind the scenes in anticipation of receiving these funds, hiring staff, and preparing space. Three of these preschool classes will be housed at Cozy Lake Elementary School and three will be located at Ellen T. Briggs Elementary School.

“It is wonderful to be able to expand our preschool program and provide early childhood education to families in our community at no cost to our families,” stated Jeanne Howe, Superintendent, upon hearing our district will be receiving the funding.

The district currently provides tuition-based, half-day general education preschool services to 81 families in Jefferson. The expansion funds will be used to eliminate tuition for existing general education preschool students and convert to a full-day model for all students. We are able to increase services by more than 40% to include approximately 35 additional children from our community in the preschool program. Our hopes for the next 3-5 years are to offer free, high-quality, full-day early learning programming to all three and four-year-olds in Jefferson Township, building a strong foundation for learning and success.

Families enrolled in the existing program need not take any further action. Families interested in one of the 35 additional spots should complete this form to be included in a lottery drawing. The completed form must be received no later than Monday, November 28th. Families who had previously registered to be included in the lottery need not reapply.

Registration requirements:

• Student must be a resident of Jefferson Township;

• Student must have turned 3 years old before October 1, 2022

• Student must have up-to-date immunization records, a completed health history form, and a medical examination form to be completed by a pediatrician or health care provider.

Families will be notified via email of the status of their application by December 2nd. 

Families entitled to tuition reimbursement are being contacted separately.

Any questions regarding the program can be directed to the building principals of their respective schools:

Lake Hopatcong: Briggs Elementary School, Mrs. Randi DeBrito rdebrito@jefftwp.org
Oak Ridge: Cozy Lake Elementary School, Dr. Timothy Plotts tplotts@jefftwp.org