Pre-K Program Options

Discover MNPS Pre-K Program Options

It is important to choose a program that is a best fit for your child’s needs. As a parent or guardian, you know the best environment your child thrives in, and we have several options you can apply for.

We do recommend that you review the MNPS Pre-K Guide on the MNPS website to guide you in selecting which schools you want to apply to. The following is an overview on the different Pre-K program options:

Early Learning Centers

Early Learning Centers (ELC) are dedicated Pre-K learning hubs that focus on preparing students for kindergarten in an exclusive early learning setting. Students will have outdoor experiences, social and emotional learning activities, and structured play designed to support academics.

MNPS has four Early Learning Centers:

School-Based Classrooms

School-based classrooms are located in elementary schools across the district. School-based classrooms provide the same Pre-K curriculum provided in ELCs in an elementary school setting.

Montessori

Montessori classes bring children together in multi-age groups, rather than classes comprised of just one age. Normally they span three age levels. So a child’s classroom may contain preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students. Each Montessori site follows a child centered educational method developed by Maria Montessori.

MNPS has two Montessori sites:

Day in the Life of an MNPS Pre K Student