Shelton catholic school accepting 4 year olds into next kindergarten year
Holy Trinity Catholic Academy is accepting 4year-olds into its 2024-25 kindergarten class, according to the private institution’s head of school.
As a private institution, HTCA is not subsidized by state funds, meaning it is not forced to abide by the new state law which changed the cutoff date for children to enter kindergarten from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1. The law requires that all students must be 5 years old to start school for the 2024-25 school year.
“We are putting the word out that we are not abiding by the new state law,” said Head of School Lisa Lanni, adding that the school will accept those 4-year-olds who are 5 by Dec. 31. “Our acceptance process has not changed.”
The Shelton school district is in compliance with the new state law, according to Superintendent Ken Saranich, and a section for incoming kindergarten parents has been created on the district’s website. The page contains all necessary information about kindergarten admission and a link to the assessment needed to be completed if the child’s age and birth date fall outside the new state law.
Saranich said the district has received 67 requests for waivers through mid-February. Saranich said the parent must fill out the assessment, which then goes to the principal at the school at which the child would attend. A decision will then be made concerning the child’s status.
The state legislature voted last spring to change the cutoff, a move which drew backlash from some parents and advocates, charging that many families would take a financial hit now that they would have to pay for an extra year of pre-K or childcare.
Supporters of the new law stated that the new cutoff date was more in line with that of other states and would make life easier for kindergarten teachers, who would now have students who are older and more mature.
Lanni said allowing 4year-olds into kindergarten would allow for a seamless transition for about 13 students in the academy’s pre-K program.
“We have a vibrant and strong pre-K program ... we would not want them to do another year and not move forward,” Lanni said. “They are more than ready for kindergarten.”
Since HTCA is outside the public school system, Lanni said no parent needs to obtain a waiver – as is required in public school districts like Shelton – for a child born before the newly established cutoff date. The school also provides busing for students.
Lanni said the academy presently has one kindergarten classroom with 18 students, a teacher and teacher’s aide. If kindergarten registrations rise above her preferred class size for this age group, she said the academy can add classrooms.
“We offer a very academically based kindergarten curriculum with an emphasis on social emotional learning and a faith component,” Lanni said. “We have a real ‘family feel’ here ... small class sizes allow for strong relationships between teachers, students and parents.”