Everett Public Schools launch their first full-day pre-kindergarten in a move praised for boosting school readiness and socio-emotional development, with over 280 children benefiting from the expanded programme.
Everett Public Schools opened its first full school day of pre-kindergarten on Wednesday, September 9, giving young pupils at the Webster Extension and the Adams School a new schedule that district leaders say will broaden early learning opportunities. The launch marked the first academic year in which both sites are offering full-day pre-K, a change that educators and city officials cast as a significant investment in the city’s youngest children.
The Webster Extension marked the occasion with a celebratory first-day event that featured a red-carpet welcome, music from the Everett Crimson Tide Marching Band and appearances by cheerleaders. Families gathered outside to meet teachers before students entered the building, while Mayor Robert J. Van Campen, Superintendent William D. Hart, Massachusetts Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike, and other community figures joined the district for the start of classes. Everett said the programme is serving more than 280 children.
Van Campen said the opening was a memorable moment for the city and praised the schools and staff involved. Zrike also highlighted the expansion, saying full-day pre-kindergarten gives more children a stronger start to school. Hart, who joined the tour of the Webster Extension after the ceremony, said the district had made full-day pre-K possible through the work of faculty, administrators, families and community partners.
Research cited by Everett and broader studies from the University of Minnesota, the University of Colorado and JAMA have found that full-day pre-kindergarten can improve school readiness, vocabulary, literacy, maths and socio-emotional development compared with half-day programmes. Some studies have also linked longer preschool days with better attendance and greater family involvement. For Everett, those findings provide a wider context for what district leaders described as a milestone moment: a fuller school day, and what they hope will be a stronger foundation, for the city’s youngest learners.
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