Enrollment Doubles as Brentwood Preschool Faces Budget Deficit

If you plan to enroll your son or daughter in the for this fall, do it now; especially if your child is 4 years old.
 
Space is still available for that age bracket, but there are waiting lists for the 2- and 3-year-old classes, said Nancy Stoverink, director of the center. “We are almost full with only a handful of spaces left, depending on (enrollment) options.”
 
“Interest in the ECC is huge," she said. "Word of mouth is getting out there about our center. Not only are people calling from Brentwood, but also from Clayton, Ladue, Maplewood and St. Louis City."

The preschool has already doubled last year's enrollment. At this time last year, the center had 50 students enrolled. Only 15 slots remain out of the 115 total spaces for the academic year that starts on August 16.

But because children filter in and out of the center, additional slots may become available later. Brentwood residents are given priority, Stoverink said.
 
The new center has a classroom for 2 year olds, for 3 year olds and two classrooms for children who are 4 years old. It also has an integrated, special education classroom for children with and without developmental delays.

Enrollment options include part time (two or three days a week), full time (five days a week) and half days (from two to five days). The program is designed to prepare children for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Growth of the 18-year-old program has been significant since it relocated to its new facility in January 2010.

Previously the preschool program and its then 35 students had been housed in one room at . There were two full-time teachers and three teacher assistants.

Today the center occupies 21,000 square feet in a new facility at 1201 Hanley Industrial Court, which includes five classrooms, a secure playground, indoor multipurpose room, kitchen and outdoor garden. There are five full-time teachers, and four full-time, and two part-time, teacher assistants.

“We’ve exceeded our expectations for this past year,” said Dr. Charles Penberthy, Brentwood School superintendent. “We were hoping to have one classroom and maybe add one or two (eventually).” The center used all its classrooms this past academic year, which ended in mid-May.

Although the center has the capacity to add another classroom, “it is not in our short-term plan to do so,” Penberthy said.

Despite its rocketing growth since it relocated, the Brentwood program is not yet a moneymaker.

Penberthy said he expects the district to reach a balanced budget on the center during the upcoming school year because of the increased enrollment. The district was short about $38,000 as of two months ago, Penberthy said.

“I expect that the amount is smaller now," Penberthy said. "I think we are moving in the right direction. We are not in this to make money, but at least for it (the program) to fund itself.”