Lottery Applications for 2022-2023 Tuition-Based Lakota Preschool due May 9

The 2022-2023 lottery application for seats in Lakota’s tuition-based preschool program, provided in partnership with the Butler County Educational Service Center, is getting a late start this year due to significant changes in preschool special education operating standards regulated by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

“It’s important to remember that Lakota’s preschool program exists due to special education laws,” said Lakota’s Executive Director of Special Education Andrea Longworth. “Those laws require that public school districts provide preschool-aged children with disabilities free access to an education that aligns with their individualized needs.” 

“As such, the number of available tuition-based seats is dictated each year by our roster of special education students and the staffing, type of classroom space and other resources required by their Individualized Education Plans,” she continued. “For the upcoming school year, in addition to anticipating our usual student roster change, we also had to respond to changes that impact our learning models and staffing.” 

Those changes included new classroom definitions and instructional models for specialized classes designed exclusively for special education students, as well as general education and integrated classrooms. The new models altered student-to-teacher ratios and caseloads and educator qualification requirements, among other changes.

“The new requirements, paired with the demanding make-up of our special education preschoolers and limited building space, means we have just over half of our typical number of tuition-based spots available next year,” Longworth said. 

Lakota will continue with its traditional lottery process for tuition-based preschool seats, first offering the opportunity to current preschoolers and their siblings only. Those families have already communicated their plans for next year, leaving a little more than half of the number of tuition-based seats offered last year.

Lottery applications for the program’s remaining seats, hosted at both VanGorden Elementary and Liberty ECS again next year, are now being accepted and must be received by Monday, May 9 to be considered for the lottery. Applicants will be selected at random and notices of admission will be sent by May 16. A separate letter will be sent to all other families to communicate their position on the waiting list. 

Parents are invited to complete and submit the 2022-2023 Lakota tuition-based preschool application. Students requiring special education preschool services can enroll at any time. Please contact Preschool Director Diane Keene by email or phone at (513) 870-5378 ext. 3 to inquire about special education preschool services. 

Visit the Lakota Preschool website for enrollment requirements and a complete FAQ about Lakota’s preschool program. Please direct any questions to the preschool office at (513) 870-5378.