Short pre-K slots in Jersey City

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Jersey City Board of Education is out of room for its Abbott pre-K program, meaning five 3-year-olds and more than a hundred 4-year-olds who are eligible for the program remain on the waiting list, according to Paula Christen, special assistant to the superintendent.

Jersey City is one of 31 Abbott districts, which are school districts that receive extra funding from the state government. Abbott districts receive money for their pre-K programs, and are legally required to provide every eligible student a slot. Jersey City received almost $56 million for its program, Christen said.

"The children are legally entitled to attend the program," said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, based in Newark.

In case of a waiting list, Sciarra said, the state must work with the district to ensure that there are enough facilities to place all the students.

A Jersey City mother of a 4-year-old son, who didn't want to give her name, asked: "Where is he supposed to go? This can't go on indefinitely."

She added that her son needs special education because he has problems with his speech.

"Every day he's falling behind," she said.

Under the Abbott rules, classrooms cannot have more than 15 students.

On Monday, 68 four-year-olds and 42 three-year-olds will be placed in pre-K programs around the city. This will still leave five 3-year-olds and 208 four-year-olds on the list.

One hundred more students will be placed after Wednesday, said Christen, which will reduce the waiting list of 4-year-olds to 108 students and of 3-year-olds to five.

"Right now we just don't have the room," Christen said.

CLAIRE MOSES