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If your three- or four-year-old needs a little extra help to grow, talk, move, or connect — and you want someone at the school district to look — that's what our developmental preschool is for. Family-led, free, and small enough that every kid is known by name.
Student Services / Preschool Special Education · Ages 3 to 5 · Always Free
If your three- or four-year-old needs a little extra help to grow, talk, move, or connect — and you want someone at the school district to look — that's what our developmental preschool is for. Family-led, free, and small enough that every kid is known by name.
Our developmental preschool is the district's program for three- and four-year-olds who qualify for special education. It comes from a federal law called IDEA Part B and a Washington rule called WAC 392-172A — the long version is on OSPI's special education page. The short version: every child who qualifies has the right to a free, individually planned preschool experience starting on their third birthday.
The classroom meets at Beacon Elementary alongside our other PreK and primary-grade families. It is taught by Tyna Waters (twaters@monteschools.org), our preschool teacher, with support from speech-language, occupational, and physical therapists as needed. Class size is small on purpose.
Eligibility is based on a free evaluation that looks at how your child is doing across the areas below. A child who shows a significant delay in one or more of these areas usually qualifies.
Eligibility doesn't require a medical diagnosis. The team that does the evaluation is the team that decides — and you're part of that team.
The doorway to the program is a free developmental screening. It takes about an hour, it's done in a calm setting your child can handle, and there's no commitment. Most kids who get screened don't end up qualifying for special education — but families come away with a clearer picture and, often, a few practical ideas to try at home.
If the screening flags concerns, we move on to a fuller evaluation — also free, also with your written permission. If it doesn't, you walk away with a baseline and our number on file.
Class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays in two sessions — morning (8:20 to 10:50 a.m.) or afternoon (11:40 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.). Most children attend two days a week; the exact frequency is set in your child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) based on what the team recommends.
The classroom blends play-based and structured learning. A typical day mixes circle time, small groups for language and motor work, free choice, snack, and a story. Therapy minutes (speech, OT, PT) usually happen inside the classroom rather than pulling kids out, because preschoolers learn better in the place they're already comfortable.
Transportation is available for kids who qualify; talk with us during the IEP meeting and we'll coordinate with our Transportation team.
An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written plan the team builds with you. It says what your child is good at, where they need help, what goals we'll work toward, and exactly which services your child will get and for how long. You sign it. Nothing starts without your signature, and you can ask for a meeting any time something isn't working.
The IEP is reviewed at least once a year. As your child grows, the goals change. We re-evaluate eligibility every three years, or sooner if you ask.
If your child is currently with Early Intervention (the birth-to-3 program run by South Sound Parent to Parent), the transition to our preschool program starts about six months before their third birthday. Your Family Resources Coordinator loops the district in, we plan the evaluation together, and the IEP is in place by the day your child turns three.
You don't have to drive that timeline — your coordinator and our team will. But it helps to know the basics so nothing surprises you.
If your child doesn't qualify for special education but you'd still like them in a school-based program, the district runs a separate Transition to Kindergarten (TK) program at Beacon Elementary for four-year-olds without prior preschool experience. TK runs five days a week, full day. Call Beacon at (360) 249-4528 if that sounds closer to what you're looking for.
Around your child's fifth birthday — or when they age into kindergarten in the fall — the team revisits the IEP and writes a kindergarten plan. For most kids that means continuing at Beacon with the same building team, the same speech and OT/PT minutes (or fewer), and the same kindergarten teacher their typically-developing peers have. Special education in our district isn't a separate hallway; it's woven into the regular classroom whenever it can be.
Will my child be "labeled"? Eligibility is recorded in school records, but it isn't a public label. Children don't see their own files, and other parents don't see them either. As your child grows, the team can re-evaluate and remove eligibility if it's no longer needed.
Is the preschool only for kids with disabilities? Most of the children in the room qualify for special education, but the classroom uses an inclusive model — everyone learns together with the help they need. Therapy happens in context, not behind a closed door.
What if I'm not sure my child needs this? Ask for the screening anyway. There's no penalty, it's free, and the screening itself often confirms everything is on track. Coordinators and teachers would much rather hear from you early than wait.
What if my child is already three but not in any program? Call us. We do screenings year-round. If your child qualifies, we don't make you wait for the next school year to start — services begin as soon as the IEP is in place.
Tyna Waters, Preschool teacher twaters@monteschools.org
Where the developmental preschool classroom meets, alongside our other PreK and primary-grade students.
(360) 249-4528
Shawn Brown, Director · 504/ADA Compliance Officer sbrown@monteschools.org Student Services: (360) 249-1233