CHERRY HILL, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is investing $25 million to expand access to preschool. Cherry Hill is among the 26 towns getting funding for new or expanded pre-K programs in its public school systems. The race for hiring teachers and staff is on.
This is a short-turnaround, to say the least, as pre-K will be starting in January. Cherry Hill acting Superintendent Kwame Morton says they anticipated this, and the wheels of hiring and logistics are already in motion.
“We’re just moving forward with the plans we had established at the outset,” said Morton.
“What we’re doing at this point is we’re working with outside providers as well, different early childhood centers in the general proximity of Cherry Hill, who can provide spaces for us and provide classrooms.”
He says each of these sites has been vetted by the state.
The district is on a hiring blitz, as they need teachers and additional administrative staff to run the pre-K program.
“And hopefully we can start to fill some of these positions by the end of November.”
Morton anticipates this will bring an additional 200 students into the district, and some families have already signed up for enrollment.
“We’re going to begin to reach out as much as possible to various channels to make people aware of the job opportunities that exist.”
Florence, Hainesport and Medford are also among the districts receiving funding for new pre-K programs.