Central Community Unit School District 301 has two (2) early childhood programs to meet the needs of our youngest students, ages 3 to 5.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

For students that qualify, our Early Childhood Special Education program (ECSE) provides specially designed instruction that includes services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy as determined by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). For this population we have a general education (blended program) and self-contained placement environment to meet their needs. 

DAILY SCHEDULE

Blended ProgramAge 35 Days Per Week8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Blended ProgramAge 45 Days Per Week12:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Self-Contained Program5 Days Per Week8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Self-Contained Program5 Days Per Week12:30 PM – 3:00 PM

**Transportation is provided for ECSE students and there is no tuition cost for this program. There is a $60 registration fee.

BLENDED PROGRAM

Students who do not qualify for special education services and who reside within Central 301 boundaries may be eligible to enroll in the Early Childhood Blended Program. Each blended classroom is composed of approximately 5 students with IEPs and 10 students without IEPs.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Blended ProgramAge 35 Days Per Week8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Blended ProgramAge 45 Days Per Week12:30 PM – 3:00 PM

**Students must be potty trained in order to participate in the program. There is an annual tuition fee of $2,000 per student (payable in eight monthly payments of $250) for the Blended Program and bus transportation is NOT provided. There is a $60 registration fee.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Click here to view the Early Childhood Program Guide.

Click here to view the 2022-2023 Early Childhood Calendar.

REGISTRATION

The Central 301 Early Childhood Blended Program will be offered again at Howard B. Thomas Grade School, Prairie View Grade School, and Country Trails Elementary School. Lily Lake Grade School students attend the program at Howard B. Thomas.

The process for securing a tuition spot in the Early Childhood Blended Program is below. To secure a tuition spot, families must complete the following steps:

  1. Submit a request for a tuition spot via the links below.
  2. Complete the new student or returning student registration at your serving school.
  3. Submit the $250 deposit (applied to the first month’s tuition fee and non-refundable).
  4. Pay $60 registration fee.

Securing a tuition spot is on a first come, first served basis and once the allotted spots are filled, a waitlist system will be implemented per building. In order to secure a tuition spot, all steps must be completed within 3 weeks. If the steps are not completed within 3 weeks, the family will lose that spot and the next person on the waitlist will be notified.

SCREENINGS

During the preschool years, parents often wonder if their child’s development is typical of that seen in same-age peers. Developmental screenings are designed to address these concerns and help parents learn more about their child’s skills.  District 301 offers free developmental screenings throughout the school year to assess young children’s skills.

Every potential early childhood student must have a developmental screening prior to being enrolled in our early childhood blended program.

The district uses an online screening tool called Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3).  The ASQ-3 looks at the following areas:

  1. Communication
  2. Gross Motor
  3. Fine Motor
  4. Problem-solving
  5. Personal-social 

Families are notified of the results of the ASQ-3 screening.  Children whose screening information indicated an area(s) of concern may be referred to an in-person screening.  Families are contacted to schedule the in-person screening.

CONTACT

To request an Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) please contact:

Nicki Coulter – Administrative Assistant
(847) 464.5863