Preschool FAQs

Public schools are required by state and federal law to identify and provide services to students with disabilities beginning on their third birthday. Students with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Because of FAPE, we are required to provide preschool special education services. Peer models are included in our program as part of our students’ LRE. 

The Preschool program is operated by Canal Winchester Local Schools. It is located at Winchester Trail Elementary, 6865 Gender Road, Canal Winchester.

Each class is taught by a licensed preschool teacher and a trained paraprofessional. Other related service staff are in the classrooms daily according to the need of the students.

Like other programs, we have limited capacity. All students will not be accepted into the program. High quality preschool experiences are important for kindergarten readiness so please keep other programs in mind!

Tuition for peer models is $100 per month (for a 9 month period from September through May). Payment is due the 25th day of the preceding month with the first month’s tuition to be made by the first day of school.

Payment may be made by cash (exact amount only), personal check, money order, VISA, or Mastercard in the Winchester Trail office. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Canal Winchester Local Schools. A $25.00 fee will be assessed for each returned check. If mailing, please send to: Winchester Trail Elementary, Canal Winchester Local Schools, 6865 Gender Road, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 43110.

If a payment is not received by the 1st day of the current month, a $20.00 late fee will be assessed. If a payment, including late fee, is not received by the 5th day of the current month, the child will no longer be able to participate as a peer model. You will not receive a monthly bill; it is the parent’s responsibility to pay tuition on time.

Although the district is required to transport students with disabilities, transportation is not provided for peer models.

Our students attend Monday through Thursday as part of our morning or afternoon session. The exact times could vary from year to year.

Following the Child Check and depending on the number of spots needed, the Preschool Coordinator will contact families, starting from the top of our potential peer model list to offer them a spot. Families will be asked to commit or decline the spot quickly so that open spots can be offered to other families. At times, consideration will be given for extenuating circumstances or age and gender balance in each preschool class.

Once your child attends our program, they will be offered a spot the next year as long as they meet the age requirements. If your child will be turning six before December 1st they will not be permitted to return for another year. This is the same for students with special needs.

Peer Models will be offered a spot based on the needs of the program. Our classrooms are not designated by age; however some have more first year students than others. Before class assignments are finalized, families will have an opportunity to submit information to be considered in the process including requests for AM or PM based on availability.

Our staff are excellent communicators! In addition to trimester reports, teachers regularly send home a newsletter and other information. Parents who drop-off and/or pick-up their child will have daily interaction with teachers and paraprofessionals. A lot of information is shared in those informal conversations!

Although we want to work with families, we are required to meet certain ratios; making changes is very difficult and unlikely to be honored. 
How will I know if the Canal Winchester Local Schools is the best place for my child? 
Although we are an appropriate placement for virtually all peers, we might not be the best fit for every child. Because we care about our peer models, it is not uncommon for our Coordinator and Teachers to meet with families to talk about the fit of our program for a particular child.
Examples include: 

• If a child copies the behaviors of others, they might benefit from being in a program with typical behaviors. 
• If a child is impatient or overbearing with other children, they might benefit from other experiences before attending a program with students who learn differently or are medically/emotionally vulnerable. 
• If a child needs strong language models, typical preschools are likely to be a better fit than our program where many of our students are delayed in their communication.

We recognize that all students this age need time to adjust and have a range of strengths and weaknesses - this is typical. If your child needs support beyond what is typical, we will discuss that with you and work together to support your child.