As Philly expands pre-K, providers vie for slots

Mayor Kenney's Office announced Monday that 85 education providers have applied to offer pre-kindergarten classes as part of a goal to expand enrollment in the city's program by 2,000 seats.

The number of applications - twice as many as city officials expected - will now be reviewed for quality, standards, location, and level of experience, the mayor's office said.

The city-run pre-K program begins in January and will serve more than 4,000 three- and four-year olds at 168 sites. Applications for the program will be accepted beginning in October.

The City's pre-K program will expand by an additional 1,000 seats for the 2017-18 school year, and an additional 1,000 seats will be added each year until September 2020, when 1,500 seats will be added, city officials said.

Families of pre-K pupils are also encouraged to enroll their children in the School District of Philadelphia's pre-K program, which still has seats available for classes that begin in September.

To learn more and sign-up for pre-k updates, visit www.phila.gov/education.

- Mensah M. Dean