Early Childhood Education
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Early Childhood
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The late application period for PreK3 and VPK will open on March 13, 2025. The chart below shows current seat availability for the 2025-26 school year by school. If a school is listed as FULL, families are still able to submit a late application to be on the school waitlist. Schools will fill seats from the waitlist as available. PCS is monitoring waitlist to determine if additional program space is needed at specific schools.
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Seats available as of May 7th for PreK3 and VPK - Downloadable File
5.07.25 Seat availability for 25-26 PreK3 and VPK.pdf 406.44 KB (Last Modified about 16 minutes ago)
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Pinellas County Schools offers Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds (PreK3) and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) for 4 year olds at school sites across the county!
Watch The ABCs of PreK3 and VPK to find out more about PreK opportunities.
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Pinellas County Schools offers several early childhood education opportunities to prepare students for kindergarten and beyond. All programs offer developmentally appropriate activities that build on children’s emerging talents and strengths.
- Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals according to the annual Florida Income Eligibility Guidelines will qualify for free full-day VPK.
- PreK3 and full-day VPK will be discounted for children of all full-time PCS employees at our elementary school sites. Our Employee and Community Preschool sites at Largo and Countryside high schools will also offer a discount to full-time PCS employees.
Questions? Call Early Childhood Education: 727-588-6513
¿Preguntas? Llame a Barbara al 727-623-4414 o llame a Ericka al 727-588-6415
Prekindergarten for 3-year-olds (PreK 3)
- Learn about PreK 3
- Serves children who are 3 years of age on or before September 1 of the school year.
- Follows the regular school calendar
- Full-day program
- Located at many elementary schools
Voluntary Prekindergarten for 4-year-olds (VPK)
- Learn about VPK
- Serves children who are 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the school year.
- Follows the regular school year calendar
- Summer programs also available
- Full- and half-day programs available
- Located at many elementary schools
Prekindergarten Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
- Serves children who have reached the age of 3 and have been identified with a developmental delay
- Follows the regular school year calendar
- Full day program
- Located at many elementary schools
- Learn more about Prekindergarten Exceptional Student Education
Community Preschool
- Serves children who have reached the age of 3
- Follows the regular school year calendar with some modifications by location.
- Full and half-day programs available
- Located at several high schools
- Learn more about Community Preschool
Lew Williams Center For Early Learning
- Serves children who are 1 – 4 years of age
- Year-round program
- Located at Pinellas Technical College St. Petersburg
- A full day program that includes Early Head Start and Head Start
- Learn more about Lew Williams Center for Early Learning
Kindergarten
- Serves children who are 5 years of age by September 1 of the school year in which they are enrolling
- Follows the regular school year calendar
- Full day program
- Located at all elementary schools
- Learn more about Kindergarten
Early Childhood Resources
- Learn more about Before and After Care programs, agencies and services that support young children and resources available for you and your child.