Preschool

Below is the 2026-2027 preschool sliding fee scale. This is not applicable to Discovery Days.

All registrations are placed on a “wait list” until all required documents are verified by the office.  If you would like more information about a preschool class, please call the Early Childhood Office at 763-600-5900. All registration is done through our website. For reduced tuition information click on the Sliding Fee Scale tab below.

We are offering Preschool classes in each of the elementary schools (Centerview, Park Terrace, Northpoint, and Woodcrest Spanish Immersion). See what neighborhood school your child will attend.

If you are interested in reduced tuition, please refer to the Sliding Fee Scale tab to verify eligibility. You will need to refer to this chart when registering online and provide required documentation.

Answer online questionnaires as a part of the online registration process
The MN Department of Education requires additional family information. You will need to complete the questions while registering.

To complete preschool registration
Once you complete the online registration you will be put on a “Wait List”.  Required documents must be provided as listed below before enrollment is confirmed.

The following documents must also be provided:

• Your child's original certified Birth Certificate (with state seal) must be brought in person to the District Service Center (see below for the address).
• Child's most recent Immunization records.
• Verification of address.  
• Supporting documentation to match the financial qualifier chosen during registration if you are applying for free or reduced (sliding fee) tuition.

Ways to provide documentation:

• Drop-off at the District Service Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park) M-F,  8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (all documents)
• Send via email to Early Childhood (except BC, must be in person)
• Send via fax to: 763-600-5913 (except BC, must be in person)

You will receive a confirmation email once the enrollment has been processed.

We reserve the right to change class offerings based on enrollment needs.

Families must meet eligibility requirements in order to qualify for free preschool classes.
Funding Eligibility can be based on income, for children who do not speak English as a first language, or have other school preparedness needs. 

• Transportation is available upon request at select schools, for families living within the district boundaries and attending select 4 year old classes.  If you request transportation, your class assignment will be determined by efficiency in routing.
• Funding from the state of Minnesota make these free classes possible.
• To complete your application you will need to bring the three required documents to the District Services Center (see list below). 
  • Child's most recent Immunization records
  • Verification of address
  • Child's original Birth Certificate (with state seal)
• Bring documents into the District Service Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park) M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Children are eligible for funding if they are 3- or 4-years-old on or before September 1, 2026 and are toilet trained. (Students who are wearing diapers or pull ups are not considered to be toilet trained.)
• All student must have completed Early Childhood screening with 90 days of first day of school.

VPK enrollment only:

• If your child is open enrolled, additional out of district paperwork must be completed and sent back prior to enrollment.  Available at the District Services Center.

• Preschool prepares children for kindergarten by incorporating literacy, math, science, social studies, art, social/emotional development, and physical development into its curriculum. Preschool is aligned with the Spring Lake Park Schools kindergarten program.
• Children attend independently two to five days per week
• Children are eligible if they are 3- or 4-years-old on or before September 1, 2026  and are toilet trained. (Students who are wearing diapers or pull ups are not considered to be toilet trained.)
• Preschool classes are offered in each of our elementary schools. Find your neighborhood school.
• To complete your application you will need to bring the three required documents to the District Services Center (see list below). 
  • Child's most recent Immunization records
  • Verification of address
  • Child's original Birth Certificate (with state seal)
• Bring documents into the District Service Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park) M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

To see if you will qualify for reduced tuition, visit the Sliding Fee Scale tab in the Preschool Registration section above.  Limited scholarships to cover full tuition are also available upon request until funding threshold is reached.  If you feel that your child might meet qualifications for free preschool, please see the 2026-2027 Free Preschool Classes tab above.

Classes for 4-year-olds

• $ 26.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Monday/Wednesday/Friday
  •  9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
  •  Centerview & Park Terrace Elementary schools

• $27 per day billed/due weekly
         Monday thru Friday 
         9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
        Includes breakfast
        Centerview & Park Terrace Elementary schools

• $ 27.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Monday thru Friday
  • 12:55 p.m.-3:55 p.m. 
  • Includes lunch
  • Park Terrace & Northpoint Elementary schools
     
• $ 27.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Monday thru Friday
  • 12:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m. 
  • Includes lunch
  • Centerview Elementary school

           Spanish Immersion options are listed below under 2026-2027 Spanish Immersion Preschool (half day)

Mixed Age Class for 3 & 4-year-olds

• $  26.00 per day billed/due weekly
  • Monday/Wednesday/Friday
  •  9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Northpoint Elementary- Currently on a waitlist

Classes for 3-year-olds 

• $ 28.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Tuesday/Thursday
  •  9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Park Terrace, Centerview & Northpoint Elementary Schools.

            Spanish Immersion options are listed below under 2026-2027 Spanish Immersion Preschool (half day)

• Register Here

This program offers a pre-kindergarten experience for families interested in Spanish Immersion.

• We offer a dual language immersion program with speakers of English and Spanish with a goal to cultivate bilingual and biliterate students. 
• Students who attend Spanish Immersion Preschool class will have the opportunity to learn their preschool skills as dual language learners.
• To complete your application you will need to bring the three required documents to the District Services Center (see list below). 
  • Child's most recent Immunization records
  • Verification of address
  • Child's original Birth Certificate (with state seal)
• Bring documents into the District Service Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park) M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Children are eligible if they are 4-years-old on or before September 1, 2026  and are toilet trained. (Students who are wearing diapers or pull ups are not considered to be toilet trained.)
• To see if you will qualify for reduced tuition, visit the Sliding Fee Scale tab in the Preschool Registration section above.  Limited scholarships to cover full tuition are also available upon request until funding threshold is reached.

Classes for 4-year-olds

• $ 26.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Monday/Wednesday/Friday
  •  9:20 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
  •  Woodcrest Spanish Immersion Elementary school

• $ 27.00 per day billed / due weekly
  • Monday thru Friday
  • 12:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
  • Includes lunch
  • Woodcrest Spanish Immersion Elementary school- Currently on a waitlist

Classes for 3-year-olds

• $ 28.00 per day billed / due weekly
• Tuesday/Thursday
•  9:20 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
•  Woodcrest Spanish Immersion Elementary school- Currently on a waitlist

Register Here

There is non refundable $25 charge per registration for all tuition based classes.   This will not be charged until the required documents are received and the enrollment is processed. 

• Tuition is charged weekly and is due one week in advance of the school week.   Invoices are sent out on Friday and due the following Monday.  
• Late fees of $10 will be charged on accounts that are not paid by the due date and will continue to accrue until paid in full. 
• $30 Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee will be assessed if a payment made by ACH (checking or savings), debit card or credit card is returned unpaid for any reason for each occurence.
• Auto-payment with credit card or checking account can be set up in your Arux account under "Manage Account" to avoid late fees or missed payments.  

Access your account

Once you have an online child care or preschool account set up, you are able to log in to do several things, including:

• Set up or make changes to your auto-pay account using your credit card, checking or savings account
• Make payments to your account
• View and print invoices, receipts and tax statements
• Register new contracts (if the program allows)
• Request drop-in days (if the program allows)
• Request non-school day registrations (if the program allows)
• Update contact and family information
• Manage authorized pick-ups

Access your account

Yes, reduced tuition is available for the half day preschool classes for families who qualify. To see if you will qualify for reduced tuition, visit  Sliding Fee Scale in the Preschool Registration section above.

If you are applying for the sliding fee,  you must provide supporting documentation to match the financial qualifier chosen during registration.  You can provide in person at the District Service Center at 1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:00 p.m or fax to 763-600-5913. 

Fully paid scholarships are available to families who qualify.  We have limited funding available, until all funds have been disbursed.

Free classes are available to 4-year-olds who qualify.  Qualification factors can be based on income, for children who do not speak English as a first language, or have other school preparedness needs. 

• Cancellation from the Preschool program must be requested through email or Arux and is subject to a 2-week (14 days) cancellation fee. 
• The registration fee is never refunded.

Spring Lake Park Schools preschool programs will help your child prepare for Kindergarten as well as develop skills for lifelong learning. Our curriculum follows the standards outlined in the Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress and is aligned with our district’s K-4 standards. Teachers develop hands-on learning activities that promote creativity and confidence. Lessons are designed to meet each student’s individual needs and interests. Our program provides children with experiences that build relationships, enhance critical thinking and communication skills, and sets the foundation for successful, life-long learning in the areas of: 

• Social and Emotional Development 
• Positive Approaches to Learning 
• Language, Literacy and Communication 
• Movement and Physical Development 
• Math 
• Arts 
• Science

Yes.  Minnesota law requires that your child be screened before enrollment in public school Kindergarten. It is also recommended before entering preschool. Screening is a free, quick and simple check of your child's development. Learn more about Early Childhood Screening.

Locations for Preschool Classes:

• Centerview Elementary School (10365 Davenport Street NE, Blaine, MN 55449)
• District Services Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432)
• Northpoint Elementary School (2350 124th Court NE, Blaine, MN 55449)
• Park Terrace Elementary School (8301 Terrace Road, Fridley, MN 55432)
• Woodcrest Elementary School (880 Osborne Road NE, Fridley, MN 55432)

Locations for ECFE Classes:

• District Services Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432)
• Centerview Elementary School (10365 Davenport Street NE, Blaine, MN 55449)

Locations for Discovery Days:

• District Services Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432)

Early Childhood Office phone: 763-600-5900

Early Childhood Office fax: 763-600-5913

Early Childhood Attendance phone (24 hour): 763-600-5909

Early Childhood Director:  763-600-5901

Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator: 763-600-5925

Age Categories and Staff/Child Ratios:

Children are supervised at all times while in the Preschool Program. Preschool accommodates 20 preschool children in a classroom. The staff to child ratio is 1:10 or less.

Program Philosophy:

The main focus of Spring Lake Park Preschool is to promote learning through a child-centered hands-on environment.

• A positive self-image is a basic ingredient to educational success and can be developed during the preschool years in a warm, nurturing environment.
• The Preschool Program offers experiences that enhance the child's self-concept both in group and individual situations.
• Our program seeks to meet the individual needs of each child in the areas of emotional, social, intellectual, language, and physical development.
• A challenging and stimulating program, as well as the security of a routine, will build upon the continuing growth of the preschooler.
• Each child and parent has the basic right of respect from the staff. Ideas and feelings are respected; individual differences are respected; race and religion are respected.

Program Goals:

• Motivation for Learning: To facilitate the joy of learning which reflects the developmental needs of each child through active involvement with his/her preschool environment.
• Physical Development: To provide each child opportunities in individual and group interactions that develop fine and gross motor skills.
• Emotional Development: To provide a supportive environment for each child to feel good about him/herself, and to develop positive ways to express his/her emotions.
• Social Development: To provide a wide range of opportunities for each child to develop positive social relationships between him/herself and their peers.
• Cognitive Development: To create opportunities in the child's environment where he/she can practice and master basic learning concepts.
• Creative Development: To provide an environment that encourages self-expression in a variety of creative activities.
• Language Development: To provide each child a variety of opportunities that enhance the development of language.
• Parent Involvement: To develop a cooperative parent-teacher relationship and to provide opportunities for parents to be involved in their child's preschool experience.

• Weekly Tuition Payments: Tuition is due weekly. Payment is due on Monday, 1 week in advance of the school week. Invoices are sent via email. Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express or checks payable to “Community Education” are acceptable.  Auto-Pay is available with a credit card or checking account. You may mail or drop off your payment to the Community Education Office (1415 81st Avenue NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432  Door #12).  Please include the child’s name with the payment to ensure your account is properly credited. If you have signed up for automatic payments, your credit card/checking account will be charged on the 1st day of school week.  You may sign-up for automatic payments at any time throughout the year, please log on to your Eleyo account to make changes.
• Past Due Accounts: Accounts that are not paid on the due date are considered past due & will be considered delinquent and will be subject to late fees. If your account is delinquent, you will be given notice that you your child will not be able to attend preschool until your account is up to date.  You will still remain responsible for the tuition and fees incurred while the account is overdue including any possible future fees incurred.
• Withdrawal: Withdrawal from the program or other contractual changes requires written notification to the Early Childhood Office, Community Education office or thru your Arux account 2 weeks in advance. Phone notification, teacher notification or lack of attendance is not acceptable notice and tuition will continue to be assessed per the contract rate until written notice is received. You will be held responsible for all fees through the two-week notice date.
• Sliding Fee for Discounted Tuition: Applicants must provide verification of income to apply for sliding fee tuition. You must turn in one of the following forms:
  • Most recent IRS Federal Income Tax Form (page 1 of the most current years tax return)or an official form documenting current enrollment in SNAP, MFIP, ACCAP, or foster care (we will make a copy for our records).
  • If an older sibling qualifies for free or reduced educational benefits, families may bring in the application approval instead of the above documents.
• Additional Fees: Should we receive a check for tuition or fees that has been returned to us by our bank, we must charge a $30.00 handling fee. Two occurrences of returned checks will make it necessary to receive all future preschool payments in cash.
• Children dropped off or picked-up outside of our established hrs will be assessed early/late arrival fees.
  The first 10 minutes is a $10.00 flat fee. Every minute thereafter is an additional $1 per minute.  Fees will be added to your account and will be due on your next invoice. 
• Extended Absence:  If your child will not be attending school for a period of time, you can choose to hold their spot by paying tuition or submit your 2 week written withdrawal notice to unenroll your child.   You will need to re-register upon return.  Subject to class availability.
• Delayed Start: To reserve a Preschool spot, payment will still be due on the enrolled date whether the child is attending yet or not. 

Preschoolers must be toilet trained (independent with using the bathroom).   Special accomodations will be made for students with IEPs or medical needs.
Students who are wearing diapers or pull ups are not considered to be toilet trained. 

Preschool student Absent line : 763-600-5909.  Please provide your child's name, spelling of name, your name, number to reach you and reason for the absence. 

If a child becomes sick while in the program, they will be isolated from other children.  Parents will be contacted immediately to pick up their child.  (Make sure that contact information is kept up to date in your Arux account) 

Exclusion of Sick Child

Please keep your child home if they have any of the following:

• Vomiting within the last 24 hours
• Diarrhea within the last 24 hours
• Fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the last 24 hours
• Rash of unknown Origin

Students may not return to school until they are free from the above symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, fever) for 24 hours, without fever reducing medications. Call your school's attendance line, below, every day your child is staying home and state the child's teacher, grade and specific reason for their absence. 

Please make sure to notify your teacher if diagnosed with a communicable illness (i.e. chicken pox, strep throat).

Procedures for Minor Injuries

In the event of minor injuries, program staff will treat the injured child according to Spring Lake Park Schools First Aid Policies or may bring the child to the school nurse for treatment. An accident report will be completed and parents will be notified of the incident.

Supplemental Student Accident Insurance

Spring Lake Park Schools and all of its employees work hard to ensure that every student has a safe and rewarding experience while attending our schools. Even with this environment and the many precautions we take, accidents can happen while students are at school.

You may or may not be aware that the school district does not provide insurance coverage for students during the time they spend on school grounds. If a child has an accident while attending school during the day or while participating in after school activities, the family’s health insurance carrier would cover any related expenses.

We have made it relatively convenient for families to purchase Student Accident Insurance through Special Markets Insurance Consultants, Inc. and underwritten by Sentry Life Insurance Company for the upcoming school year. This program is completely voluntary. Each family should examine their health insurance coverage as well as co-pays and deductible limits to determine if this supplemental coverage would be a benefit to them. If you are interested in exploring a supplemental insurance coverage, by August 15, we will have a link on the school district’s website that will make available a variety of insurance coverage options for families to consider for their students. If you have questions about this service, you can call the Activities Department at 763-600-5149.

If your student must be absent, please call the attendance line at 763-600-5909 or you can report a student absence through the Campus Parent Portal:

1.      Log in to Campus Parent Portal
2.      On the main menu (on the left), click on MORE
3.     Click on ABSENT REQUEST
4.     Check the box by your student’s name.
5.     Complete the form.
6.     Select the Absent Type and Start Date and End Date and the number of days your student will be absent.
7.     Enter Comments to inform the school office of any details.  This is a required step.
8.     Click SUBMIT.

Pick-up/Release of Children

When someone other than the usual person who transports a child to or from Preschool is coming for pick-up, that person MUST be listed as a "Authorized Pick up" in your Arux account.  Please email your teacher to let them know of the change.   

If the person is listed as authorized to pick-up the child, staff will ask for identification (a picture ID) before releasing the child.

If the person is unauthorized, staff will explain that they  are not permitted to release the child and that the parent/guardian will need to be contacted.  In the case of an irate person or difficult situation, the staff person can contact other staff, administrators, or the police.

If a child is not picked-up

When a child is not picked-up, staff will remain with the child and:

• Call the parent’s home and work telephone numbers as listed on the enrollment form
• If no answer, call other emergency telephone numbers as listed on the enrollment form
• If no answer, contact program administrator to determine at what point staff needs to be relieved
• Remain with the child as long as possible or until a replacement person arrives
• If no one can be reached by phone by the end of our office hours the police will be contacted.

See Late Pickup Fee Policy under Preschool Billing Information.

Spring Lake Park Schools Preschool will not exclude any child based on race, religion, or ability.  Our programs are inclusive of all children.  

Behavior Guidance

Behavior Guidance in the preschool program is based on the idea that 3-5 yr. old children are in the process of developing socially and emotionally and that staff must understand and respect children before they can work with them effectively. Staff will make every effort to determine what reasonable expectations are for the particular child at a particular age. Staff understands that the environment will be designed so that as far as possible it will be easy and comfortable for the children to engage in pro-social behavior and resolve conflicts easily with help from an adult.

Staff will use the following positive guidance techniques for behavior management in the classroom. 

• Create an environment that is challenging and conducive to learning.
• Set limits that are consistent and fair.
• Model appropriate expressions of feeling and demonstrate coping skills.
• Notice good behavior - praise and use positive reinforcement often.
• Talk about natural consequence of childrens' actions.
• Help children solve problems and make choices. Give children a choice or alternative when appropriate.
• Distract children from potential problems. Redirect to another activity.
• Remove the child from the situation if harmful to self or others.
• Maintain thorough observation of the group at all times.

If there are concerns with a student regarding behaviors that are harmful to self or others, the teacher will contact the parent of the child directly.

Many of our activities are active and messy. We encourage your child to wear casual, comfortable clothing.   An extra set of clothes kept in your child's backpack is suggested, especially jeans and socks. 

Most days, the children go outside to play on a playground.  We suggest sending your child to school in shoes they can run in without them falling off for safety purposes.  Also, in the winter, please send your child to school with winter appropriate clothing (snow pants, boots, winter coat, gloves, scarf, hat, etc).

Children will not go outside if the outside temperature is 0° and/or the wind-chill factor is -10° F,  if the conditions are extremely icy or sloppy, or if it is raining and/or lightning.

Please label your child's items so that we can keep track of each student's clothes.

An alert notification will be sent to you by phone, text, and e-mail based upon information/preferences provided

An easy-to-find Alert Message will be posted on the top of each page on district and school websites.

WCCO Radio, WCCO-Channel 4, KARE-11, KMSP Fox 9, and KSTP-5 will be among the local media contacted

There is no reduction in tuition charges or related fees for delays or closures due to emergencies or inclement weather. This applies to school days, non-school days and summer care.

Regular communication between parents and teachers helps to make your child’s learning a partnership! Parents are welcomed to contact the teaching staff at any time during the school year. In addition, we offer several opportunities during the year for a more formal time to talk:

• Meet & Greet in September is a time to get to know your classroom and staff.

• Family Connect in October is a time for you and your teacher to share information about your child’s strengths and interests and other information that is important to your child’s success in school. Several options to connect include:  In Person, Phone or Virtual.  

• Family Connect will be in February.   During this time we will discuss your child's progress.   Several options to connect include:  In Person, Phone or Virtual.  

• Throughout the school year, your teacher will keep you updated on what is happening in the classroom thru an app called Seesaw. 

Safety and Security

Spring Lake Park Schools – and all staff – are committed to keeping our school communities safe and welcoming places to learn. We have developed measures to protect our children and to respond in the event of an emergency.

We have a layered system of security in place that covers prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery. While we cannot share specific security measures, actions or tactics, we work continually and closely with our law enforcement partners to implement best practices, detect potential threats, and prepare our buildings and staff to respond in case of an emergency.

Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency requiring immediate medical attention the on-site school nurse will be available and staff will contact 911 and the child's parents. 

If a child is seriously injured at school, the parent or alternate person listed on the emergency card will be contacted. If the parent or alternate person is not available, the student will be transported to a local hospital. 

Media permission and directory information
Photos, video, stories and other information highlighting student learning and achievement captured in our schools is considered public record. We share positive achievements in yearbooks, on the website, in newsletters and articles and the district’s other official communication channels that often include images and names.

Families can request specific “directory information” (student name, picture, other information) remain private by submitting a written request to the school principal or administrative assistant. Requests should include the student’s name, school, relationship of the person requesting and the specific information that is to remain private.

You can read the Media Permission/Directory Notification on the school handbook page and review our district policy on this topic, Policy 515: Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records.

Each child enrolled in preschool must have on file a documented record of current immunizations, a medical exemption, or a notarized statement of parental objection to immunization. This record is due when you register your child for class. Immunization information must be updated annually. You can turn them in:

• Drop off at District Service Center (1415 81st Ave NE, Spring Lake Park)
• Send via email 
• Send via fax to the Early Childhood fax number at 763-600-5913

We believe that birthdays are special days for young children. As a school district, we are implementing new procedures to recognize birthdays while promoting a healthy school environment.

We are asking parents to not bring food or other treats to their child’s classroom to celebrate a birthday. Instead of bringing a treat, students may choose to bring a non-food item to share with the class, or as an alternative, a book or rainy day game may be donated to the class.

Classroom teachers provide a variety of age-appropriate events for students on their birthdays. These special events may include: cards from the teacher and/or classmates, wearing a special birthday crown or hat, having special classroom privileges, and singing a “Happy Birthday” song. Check with your child’s teacher to see what would be acceptable. As always, advance notice of your plans is appreciated.