The Early Childhood Education Department provides families with preschool programs to prepare children for an easy transition to kindergarten and long-term academic success. All classes are taught by high-quality, licensed teachers. The programs listed below focus either on 4-year-olds or 3-year-olds.
Priority Placement Criteria
Priority placement for all preschool programs goes to students who meet one or more of the following criteria:
Note: Children who are age-eligible for kindergarten are not eligible for enrollment in High Five unless specified by their Special Education Individual Education Plan (IEP).
HIGH FIVE is a half-day or full-day preschool program for Minneapolis children who:
Teacher-Student ratio is 2:20 = There are 20 students per class with 1 licensed teacher and 1 associate educator
Locations: High Five sites are located at many Minneapolis Public K-8 schools; see list of locations.
Transportation: FREE
Fee: MPS is required by state law to establish a sliding fee scale for Preschool students.
Registration process: You may apply online, complete a school request card, or call 612.668.1840 for registration information and materials.
Currently, two programs are available for three-year-olds, Three School and Alphabet Soup; see below for more information.
1) THREE SCHOOL is a half-day preschool program for children who:
OR
Live in the attendance area for Lyndale Community School in South Minneapolis; located at 312 W. 34th Street.
Teacher-Student ratio is 3:20 = There are 20 students per class maximum with 1 licensed teacher and 2 associate educators
Transportation: Free Location: Mona Moede Early Learning Center, 2400 Girard Ave. N., Minneapolis 55411 OR Lyndale Community School, 312 W. 34th St., Minneapolis 55408 Fee: MPS is required by state law to establish a sliding fee scale for Preschool students.
2) ALPHABET SOUP is a half-day preschool program offered three days a week for three-year-olds. Age requirement: Children must be three years old by September 1
Teacher-Student ratio is 2:18 = There are 18 students per class maximum with two state-licensed teachers; curriculum is based on state and Minneapolis Public Schools standards
Parent education component: Meets every other week with topics focusing on preschoolers and preparing children for kindergarten
Fee: Based on a sliding fee scale Location: Wilder ECFE Early Childhood, 3345 Chicago Ave S Door 2, Minneapolis 55407 Transportation: Free transportation is available for children who are served by Early Childhood Special Education; all other students must be provided transportation by their families Registration process: Registration ongoing until program fills; register online for Alphabet Soup
Minneapolis Public Schools is pleased to announce that RYCOR Online Payments is now available for Preschool Monthly Fee. This convenient new tool is accessible via the following website:
https://www.studentquickpay.com/mpls/
All preschool programs prepare children for kindergarten and beyond by focusing on the whole child and using researched-based and age-appropriate lessons based on the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress:
Star Rated: The High Five and Three School preschool programs were awarded a four-star rating by Parent Aware.