About Our Program 

The Knox County Blended Preschool Program is available at 22 sites across the district. These classes are inclusive/blended education classes for children ages 3-5.  A select number of students will be enrolled in each classroom to serve as peer models to students with disabilities. The blended preschool classroom is a structured teaching environment where students with disabilities and peer models learn together, staffed with one special education teacher and at least two educational assistants. The Knox County Schools Blended Preschool Program is a high-quality program offering preschoolers, with and without disabilities, challenging experiences and opportunities to develop skills and abilities in a nurturing environment.  All Knox County Schools preschool classrooms follow the Connect 4 Learning curriculum, a language rich curriculum focusing on science and math with literacy and social/emotional components embedded throughout. More information about the Connect 4 Learning curriculum can be found at https://www.kaplanco.com/c4l/.

Program Requirements

To be accepted as a peer model, the following criteria must be met:

Children must be at least 3 years of age, but not yet 6 by August 15, 2025 to be considered. Children who are 6 by August 15, 2025 are required to enroll in Kindergarten, therefore ineligible for the Blended Preschool Program.  The peer model program is NOT intended for students already identified with an educational disability or suspected educational disability.   

• Children must be completely toilet trained to be considered as a peer model.
• Children should be easily understood in order to model appropriate speech and language.
• Children should demonstrate consistent, excellent behavior and developmentally appropriate social interactions.
• Regular attendance is required.
• Parents must have their children at the program on time and pick them up at the designated time.  Failure to do so may result in dismissal from the program.
• Enrollment packet should be completed by May 2, 2025 if accepted into the program. Enrollment packets are available at, and specific, to each school site.
• The Tennessee Health Record Form is required for all children documenting their immunization history.
• A copy of a certified birth certificate is required.
• Proof of Knox County residency is required.

Cost/Tuition

Tuition for the Blended Preschool Classroom Program is $200 per month and must be paid using the School Cash Online platform. Failure to pay tuition on time may result in dismissal from the program. Parents will be responsible for paying for their child’s breakfast and lunch each day, or the child can bring his/her own breakfast/lunch.  Tuition funds are used to purchase materials for the classroom, consumables, furniture, rugs, professional development, preschool staffing, and other expenditures approved by program administration which directly impacts preschool students.

Hours

Preschool hours are 7:45-1:15, but may vary slightly depending on the site.  

After School Care

Please contact the school directly for more information about after school care. All after school care enrollments are managed through independent after school companies. After care sites are listed above under the “sites” tab.  

Application Timeline

Completed applications must be submitted by Wednesday, March 26, 2025 to be considered for the first round of enrollment. August tuition of $100 must be received by June 1st to confirm your spot.  Instructions for payment will be sent as part of the acceptance email.

Children of Knox County Schools employees who meet enrollment criteria and those currently enrolled in the program will be given first priority if applying before March 26, 2025. KCS Employees and returning families applying after March 26th will be considered as any other applicant. Parents will be notified via email if their child is selected to participate by April 17, 2025.  Students who do not get an initial slot will be placed on a waiting list.   All current students must reapply to be considered for the 2025-26 school year and must have tuition payments up to date to reapply.

Knox County Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, creed, color, or ethnicity.

What can my child gain from participating in the Blended Preschool Program?

In addition to participation in a high-quality, language rich classroom with a vetted early childhood curriculum, there are many benefits to including typically developing peers and students with disabilities. Below are just a few of the benefits according to the Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (9/2014):

• Typically developing children can show positive developmental, social and attitudinal outcomes from inclusive experiences.
• They are capable of demonstrating greater compassion and empathy.
• They have a more positive perception of children with disabilities.
• They can develop a better understanding of diversity and disability.
• There are benefits from working with developmental specialists who can identify and address student needs that may not otherwise be identified.

Next Steps:  If your child meets the listed criteria for our program, please complete the electronic application.  Please do not submit additional documentation (birth certificate, shot record, etc) at this time.  If your child is accepted to the Blended Preschool Program, you will submit these documents to your child’s school with a completed enrollment packet by May 2, 2025. 

Applications should be submitted via the online application link.  All correspondence regarding acceptance into the program will be via email.  Enrollment is NOT solely based on a “first come, first serve” system.   Many factors go into creating a well-balanced classroom. 

Tuition Details

Tuition Agreement

The tuition payment is due on or before the 1st of every month for a total of 10 payments (August-May). The monthly tuition for all students accepted into the Blended Preschool Program is $200.

August tuition is adjusted since students are attending for fewer days. This payment is due by June 1st to reserve your spot.  More information will be included in your acceptance email.

Payments may be made monthly, by semester, or for the entire year.  

Deductions will not be made for days, weeks, or months a student may be absent from school. Vacations, quarantines, or long illnesses will not be deducted from tuition. District wide school closures will also not impact tuition requirements. All payments made to Knox County Schools are non- refundable.

If payment is not received by the 1st of each month, a $35.00 late charge penalty will be incurred. Furthermore, if tuition is not paid by the 5th day of the following month, the student will not be accepted in class and his/her enrollment may be terminated.

The Blended Preschool tuition may be tax deductible. A tax form will be issued at the end of the calendar year upon request. You should save all your receipts from tuition payments.

Compliance with district and school policies must be adhered to. Failure to do so could result in dismissal from the program at any time. In such a case, the current month’s tuition payment will not be refunded.

Any financial questions may be directed to the Business Services department at 865-594-1676.

I agree to the terms and conditions of the Knox County Schools Blended Preschool Program tuition agreement. I understand that failure to pay tuition according to these terms will result in termination from the Blended Preschool Program.

Electronic Signature on Application indicates parents understand and agree to the Tuition Agreement. 

Contact Us

Contact us via email at blendedpreschool@knoxschools.org or by calling 865-594-1247.

About Our Program

The Knox County Schools Voluntary Pre-K program is funded through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education. The focus is to enroll students in the underserved population, which includes children identified as “at-risk.” At-risk factors include family income, foster care, homelessness, and students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. Children must be four years of age on or before August 15th of the current year. If there are spots available after the 30th day of school, students who turned three years of age on or before August 15th may be accepted into the Voluntary Pre-K program.

Since the program is grant-funded, families must meet the income eligibility for acceptance. If there are spots available after the 30th day of school, students who do not meet income eligibility but have other risk factors, such as a disability or IEP, limited English proficiency, and students in custody of someone other than the parent may be admitted to the program. Admittance is not guaranteed, and these spots are limited. Families will be notified if there is availability.

Proof of Income is required for acceptance into Voluntary Pre K.  Proof of income may be a W-2, a pay stub, or a SNAP/TANF award letter which includes the case number. 

Proof of Residency is required for acceptance into Voluntary Pre K.  Proof of residency may be a lease or mortgage letter, a current utility bill, or a notarized letter with proof of residency fro the person who completes the letter. 

Income Eligibility Information

This chart is to be used when reviewing the Pre-K Income Eligibility application to determine if family meets income qualifications for “economically disadvantaged.” Families making at or below the annual income amount, based on household size, meet the income eligibility criteria for participation in the Voluntary Pre-K program for the 2025-2026 school year. Verification must include total income of all household family members. Meeting income eligibility requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Voluntary Pre-K program due to limited space and the possibility of more students applying than seats available.

Daily Schedule

All Voluntary Pre-K programs operate on a 6-hour school day. Start and end times vary per school. Transportation is not provided for Voluntary Pre-K students.

Attendance Expectations

Your child’s potential for growth and development is maximized through consistent participation in a high-quality environment. Establishing consistent attendance routines in pre-k and kindergarten will increase chances of success in all future school experiences and will decrease chances your child will drop out of high school. Our goal is to establish healthy school habits as soon as school is introduced. Therefore, it is very important that your child attends pre-k on a regular basis. With this in mind, Knox County Schools, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and the KCS School Board, has adopted a pre-k attendance policy effective December 2023 (see Policy J-120).

Excused Absences:

We understand that children may miss some days of participation due to illness. Absences due to illness will be considered an excused absence.

The following are acceptable reasons for an excused absence:

1. The child is ill;
2. Illness of an immediate family member;
3. The child contracts a communicable disease (virus or flu);
4. Death in the family;
5. Extreme weather conditions;
6. Religious Observances;
7. Military deployment of a family member (see Board Policy J-120)

Required Procedures:

1. Please communicate with your child’s teacher when your child is absent.
2. A doctor’s excuse is required after three (3) consecutive days of absence.
3. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, or if you anticipate an ongoing attendance issue, please contact your child’s teacher or Beth Lackey, Early Childhood Director at 865-594-1529.
4. If a child has four (4) or more consecutive absences– or four (4) or more absences within one (1) month– the site-level administrator will contact you to determine the child’s participation status. The site-level administrator will document attempts to contact you and the outcome of those attempts and/or communications.
5. Parents are limited to 10 Parent Excuse Notes.
6. If the child misses five (5) or more days in a three (3)-month period, the site-level administrator will contact the family to develop an attendance plan.
   1. The attendance plan will be designed to help the family establish regular attendance or, if necessary, to plan for alternative services. The attendance plan will be developed by the family and appropriate school personnel, including, but not limited to; the child’s primary pre-k teacher, the site-level administrator, the IEP team (if applicable), and additional staff serving the school and family. The plan must:
      1. Identify the reasons for absences;
      2. Include a specific plan and date for establishing regular attendance or alternative services that meet the child’s educational goals;
      3. Include documentation of services and student’s outcomes to determine effectiveness of the attendance plan.
7. Every effort will be made to ensure your child has access to a quality school program. However, VPK seats are limited and are made available through a state grant. A child, who has more than five (5) unexcused absences per month, or ten (10) unexcused absences in one school year, may be terminated from the program for failure to follow the attendance policy.
8. Because the seats are limited, your child’s spot may be filled as soon as he/she is withdrawn. Future eligibility for the terminated child to re-enter the program will depend upon vacancies after a 30-day waiting period and a parent conference to establish faithful, binding Home/School Compact.

Tardies:

In order to be counted present on any and all attendance records, students in pre-k MUST attend school for a time period of at least 50% of their scheduled day. Students who attend less than half of their scheduled school day shall be recorded as absent on any and all attendance records.

Electronic Signature on Application indicates parents understand and agree to the expectations for attendance and the program qualifications for Voluntary Pre-K.

About Our Program

The Title 1 Preschool program serves students who reside in Title 1 Elementary School zones. Children must be four years of age on or before August 15th of the current year. Fair Garden Community Center has multiple classrooms that serve 3-year-old students and 4-year-old students. In order to participate in the 3-year-old program, students must be three years of age on or before August 15th of the current year.

Proof of Residency is required for acceptance into a Title 1 Preschool class.  Proof of residency may be a lease or mortgage letter, a current utility bill, or a notarized letter with proof of residency fro the person who completes the letter. 

Daily Schedule

All Title 1 programs operate on a 6 hour school day. Start and end times vary per school. Transportation is not provided for Title 1 students.

Attendance Expectations

Your child’s potential for growth and development is maximized through consistent participation in a high-quality environment. Establishing consistent attendance routines in pre-k and kindergarten will increase chances of success in all future school experiences and will decrease chances your child will drop out of high school. Our goal is to establish healthy school habits as soon as school is introduced. Therefore, it is very important that your child attends pre-k on a regular basis. With this in mind, Knox County Schools, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and the KCS School Board, has adopted a pre-k attendance policy to go into effect December, 2023 (see Policy J-120).

Excused Absences:

We understand that children may miss some days of participation due to illness. Absences due to illness will be considered an excused absence.

The following are acceptable reasons for an excused absence:

1. The child is ill;
2. Illness of an immediate family member;
3. The child contracts a communicable disease (virus or flu);
4. Death in the family;
5. Extreme weather conditions;
6. Religious Observances;
7. Military deployment of a family member, see Board Policy J-120

Required Procedures:

1. Please communicate with your child’s teacher when your child is absent.
2. A doctor’s excuse is required after three (3) consecutive days of absence.
3. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, or if you anticipate an ongoing attendance issue, please contact your child’s teacher or Beth Lackey, Early Childhood Director at 865-594-1529.
4. If a child has four (4) or more consecutive absences– or four (4) or more absences within one (1) month– the site-level administrator will contact you to determine the child’s participation status. The site-level administrator will document attempts to contact you and the outcome of those attempts and/or communications.
5. Parents are limited to 10 Parent Excuse Notes.
6. If the child misses five (5) or more days in a three (3)-month period, the site-level administrator will contact the family to develop an attendance plan.
   1. The attendance plan will be designed to help the family establish regular attendance or, if necessary, to plan for alternative services. The attendance plan will be developed by the family and appropriate school personnel, including, but not limited to; the child’s primary pre-k teacher, the site-level administrator, the IEP team (if applicable), and additional staff serving the school and family. The plan must:
      1. Identify the reasons for absences;
      2. Include a specific plan and date for establishing regular attendance or alternative services that meet the child’s educational goals;
      3. Include documentation of services and student’s outcomes to determine effectiveness of the attendance plan.
7. Every effort will be made to ensure your child has access to a quality school program. However, VPK seats are limited and are made available through a state grant. A child, who has more than five (5) unexcused absences per month, or ten (10) unexcused absences in one school year, may be terminated from the program for failure to follow the attendance policy.
8. Because the seats are limited, your child’s spot may be filled as soon as he/she is withdrawn. Future eligibility for the terminated child to re-enter the program will depend upon vacancies after a 30-day waiting period and a parent conference to establish faithful, binding Home/School Compact.

Tardies:

In order to be counted present on any and all attendance records, students in pre-k MUST attend school for a time period of at least 50% of their scheduled day. Students who attend less than half of their scheduled school day shall be recorded as absent on any and all attendance records.

Electronic Signature on Application indicates parents understand and agree to the expectations for attendance and the program qualifications for Title 1 Preschool.

KCS has two preschool inclusion classrooms specifically for students who are 5 years old but not yet 6 by August 15, 2025. Classrooms are staffed with two certified teachers and one teaching assistant. The class has a 50/50 ratio of students with and without IEPs. All students will come 5 days per week for 5.5 hours per day. The classroom staff will work collaboratively to support learning, growth and development of all students enrolled. For the 25-26 school year, classrooms will be at Karns Preschool and Fort Sanders Educational Development Center.

Considerations for Potential Students

Students should:

• Be 5 years old by August 15, 2025 but not yet 6 by August 15, 2025
  • This classroom is designed for students who are eligible for Kindergarten but would benefit from an additional year of targeted intervention and instruction
• Be a student with a current IEP or other risk factors (such as the risk factors to qualify for VPK or Head Start).
• All 5 year olds are welcome to apply. We will prioritize those with IEPs and risk factors first, then fill any remaining openings from our pool of eligible applicants.

Questions about the KCS Transition Preschool Classroom can be directed to Shelli Eberle at blendedpreschool@knoxschools.org