MVSU Prekindergarten Programs

Under Vermont’s Act 166 Universal Prekindergarten, prekindergarten programs are open to Vermont students who have reached the age of 3, 4, or 5 years old by September 1st of the year of entry, and who are not enrolled in Kindergarten. See our Age of Entrance policy here.

Prekindergarten is led by licensed early childhood educators and includes a variety of rich, developmentally-appropriate learning opportunities aligned with the Vermont Early Learning Standards. Students participate in community building activities, literacy and math centers, and indoor and outdoor play.

Our campuses offer programming five days per week for the school year following the district calendar, and is grounded in research around early childhood education; we believe students benefit from consistent routines, continuity of curriculum and learning activities, and a strong classroom community.

Our early childhood educators are best able to provide a vibrant and meaningful learning environment when they can plan directly for a regular group of students. To this end, we will not be enrolling students on a drop-in basis or only on certain days outside of the options of five full days per week, five mornings per week, or three mornings per week unless it is collectively deemed in the best interest of the student.

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Explore Our PreK Campuses

Barnard | Killington | Reading | Woodstock

Prekindergarten registration is a 2-step process.

Step 1: Application of Intent

Who completes an application? (*Almost) EVERYONE!

  • All new in-district PreK students, whether it’s for a MVSU PreK program or an out-of-district program

  • All out-of-district PreK students who wish to attend a MVSU program
    Out-of-district students must reapply each year and are considered as space allows.

  • Already enrolled PreK students (in-district residents) in any program who wish to change programs
    *(Currently enrolled resident PreK students wishing to stay in the same PreK program do NOT have to reapply for their second PreK year)

Multiple students from the same household require separate applications.

To start immediately in this current school year:


To start in the fall of 2025, for the 2025-2026 school year:

Step 2: Confirmation and Formal Enrollment

If you applied to a:

  • MVSU program (BA, KES, RES, or WES)
    The prekindergarten coordinator will contact you to confirm if there is space in the program to enroll your child. After receiving confirmation, you may proceed with Step 2, the formal Alma Start enrollment process. If the program(s) is/are full, you will receive information on alternatives.
    The Order of Enrollment (below) will be used to fill openings in all programs.

  • Private or out-of-district prequalified program
    Please be sure to email the required documents as listed in the application to prekindergarten@mtnviews.org. Submitting these documents is the family’s responsibility; our office cannot pursue them and Act 166 funding will not be approved without these required documents.

Enrollment Options and Tuition for Out-of-District Students

View enrollment options and tuition for out-of-district students:

2024/2025 School Year Barnard Academy | Killington Elementary | Reading Elementary | Woodstock Elementary
2025/2026 School Year Barnard Academy | Killington Elementary | Reading Elementary | Woodstock Elementary

Order of Enrollment

Applications received during the initial application window for all MVSU programs will be sorted according to the following criteria. Multiples (i.e. twins, triplets, etc.) are accepted together.

  1. Any in-district resident student who is qualified under Essential Early Education (EEE) or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guidelines.

  2. In-district resident (4) four-year-old students:

    1. with a sibling in grades K-6 at the school where the PreK program is located.

    2. who physically reside in the town where the PreK program is located.

    3. who reside in a district town other than where the program is located.

  3. In-district resident (3) three-year-old students:

    1. with a sibling in the same PreK program.

    2. with a sibling in grades K-6 at the school where the PreK program is located.

    3. who physically reside in the town where the PreK program is located.

    4. who reside in a district town other than where the program is located.

  4. Eligible (4) four-year-old students of Vermont resident MVSU/SD employees.

  5. Eligible (4) four-year-old out-of-district students. Out-of-district students may be enrolled for one fiscal school year as space allows and, if not entering Kindergarten, must reapply; acceptance is not guaranteed.

  6. Eligible (3) three-year-old students of MVSU/SD employees.

  7. Eligible (3) three-year-old out-of-district students. Out-of-district students may be enrolled for one fiscal school year as space allows and must reapply each year; acceptance is not guaranteed.

At any step that the amount of applications received during the initial application window exceed a program’s capacity, a lottery* will be conducted of eligible applicants at that step. Names will be drawn to fill all openings, and will continue to be drawn to form waiting lists.

Families will be notified via email of their student’s status with a program. Families of accepted students will be informed of the next steps in the registration process and the required timeline. Failure to follow the timeline will result in the forfeiture of the student’s enrollment spot.

Applications received after the initial enrollment window will be added to a waiting list in the order received if there is no space available to accept them into the program at that time. Two lists per school are maintained when necessary: one list for 3 year olds and one list for 4 year olds. When an opening becomes available, the list of 4 year olds will be consulted first; when that list is depleted the list of 3 year olds will be consulted.

Students not enrolled or unenrolled for any reason (e.g. lack of capacity, changed their mind, not ready, etc.) will need to reapply for the next school year during the next year’s application acceptance window.

*A lottery is a system used to decide who will get or be given something by choosing names by chance.

Alternatives to MVSU Prekindergarten Program

All qualified in-district resident students have the option to enroll in any VT prequalified program, and the district will pay a state-determined portion of the tuition.

Learn more about Act 166: Universal Prekindergarten

Child Care Financial Assistance Program

Vermont offers assistance for families to access child care, including prekindergarten, beyond the Act 166 Universal Prekindergarten hours. To be eligible for assistance, your family must:

Use the Subsidy Pre Screening Tool to see if you qualify for child care benefits. 

You can apply online through the Bright Future Information System or by submitting a paper copy of the application. To find out more about how to apply and found out more about the program, please visit the CCFAP website.

Further questions

For more information about a specific school’s PreK Program, contact the school’s principal:

Barnard Prekindergarten Program: Melissa Zoerheide - Melissa.Zoerheide@mtnviews.org
Killington Prekindergarten Program: Mary Guggenberger - Mary.Guggenberger@mtnviews.org
Reading Prekindergarten Program: Brandon Hill - Brandon.Hill@mtnviews.org
Woodstock Prekindergarten Program: Maggie Mills - Maggie.Mills@mtnviews.org

General questions about the MVSU Prekindergarten process? Contact the Act 166 Coordinator at prekindergarten@mtnviews.org.