About Us
The Northside Preschools help develop knowledge, skills, relationships, and behaviors that not only prepare your child for kindergarten, but for their school career and in life. The focus of our program is to provide a positive learning experience in an environment that allows our children and families to grow and excel. Our community recognizes that every child deserves a high quality education, even as early as three years old! We are happy to offer several options to meet the early education needs of your 3 year old. Your child must be 3 on or before September 1st and reside on the Northside of Kalamazoo to qualify.
Background
Northside Preschools is a long-term, multi-year project designed to close the achievement gap that primarily exists between children of color and economically disadvantaged children residing in the targeted area and their white counterparts in Kalamazoo County by preparing them to be Kindergarten-ready and able to read at grade level by third grade.
Northside community leaders and others began meeting in February 2013 to discuss how to address and eventually break the intergenerational cycle of poverty that exists within the neighborhood by positively impacting the intellectual, socio-emotional, and physical development of some of the most vulnerable children and their families residing in the City of Kalamazoo ages 0-5. The centers opened in September 2014, with funding from the Learning Network of Kalamazoo. Each center currently has a 4 or 5 star quality rating from the Michigan Great Start to Quality Program.
Learn more:
The following services were developed based on input from parents in the targeted area:
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High quality preschool/ pre-kindergarten experience
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Free tuition
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Free transportation
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Full and half day classes
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Lead teacher at each school is certified in early childhood
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Student to teacher ratio is less than 10:1
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Parents as Teachers (PAT) certified Parent Educators/ Family Advocates to support parents as their child's first and most important teacher
Services Offered:
Student Demographics - 2015
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Family income levels ranged from 25% of the federal poverty guidelines to 227% above the guidelines, with 70% of families living at or below the guidelines.
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Student population was 85% African American, 11% two or more races, and 4% Hispanic.
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75% of families had a single parent (mother) as head of household.