Free Pre-K enrollment is now open throughout the Tulsa region for children who will be 4 by September 1.
“The Tulsa area offers some of the best free pre-K programs in the country,” said Kathy Seibold, ImpactTulsa executive director. “The skills learned during the pre-K year are building blocks for children’s success in kindergarten and throughout their educational career.”
Enrollment for pre-K at Tulsa area schools has already begun. Here’s what you need to enroll your child at most schools:
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Your child’s up-to-date immunization records
- A photo ID from the parent or guardian
- Proof of address
Slots are limited, so enroll today. Are you ready to enroll? Visit prektulsa.com to get all the information you need about enrolling at each school district in the Tulsa area. The earlier you enroll, the better chance you have of getting a spot in a pre-K program at the school of your choice.
Enrolling in pre-K can change your child’s future!
Children who attend pre-K outperform children who do not, according to research conducted by local nonprofit ImpactTulsa. Students who attend pre-K are less likely to be retained, less likely to be chronically absent and more likely to enroll in gifted or honors programs than peers who do not.
“Entering school ready to learn can improve one’s chances of reaching middle class status by age 40 by about eight percentage points,” Seibold said. “Pre-K not only teaches children basic literacy and numeracy skills, it fosters social, teamwork, and communication skills. All of these are critical for students to enter kindergarten ready.”
“Pre-K offers experiences to develop competence in language, fine and gross motor skills, reasoning and socialization,” Seibold said. “Pre-K is a great first step in becoming a comfortable and successful student.”
Oklahoma is only one of three states in the country with universal pre-K, meaning pre-K is available and free to all Oklahoma children. However, ImpactTulsa reports one in three Tulsa-area 4-year-olds are currently not taking advantage of this top-quality, free educational opportunity.
“That means more than 3,000 students in Tulsa County alone are not taking advantage of district pre-K programs,” Seibold said. “It is ImpactTulsa’s goal to increase the number of students enrolled in pre-K.”
Their efforts are working: Overall enrollment in public pre-K programs in the Tulsa area has increased 3 percent from 69 percent to 72 percent since 2013.
“We’re seeing improvements in the number of 4-year-olds enrolled, which means we’ll see improvements across the board as these children get older,” Seibold said. “Please help your child reach the same success by enrolling them in pre-K as soon as they are old enough.”
Visit prektulsa.com today to learn how to best take advantage of Tulsa’s nationally recognized pre-K program, learn about the specific pre-K offerings in schools near you or read more about the benefits of pre-K education for your child.