Early Childhood Program

Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program (4 Year Olds)

• The Voluntary Pre-K Program is designed to meet the needs of students identified as economically at-risk (low-income). The income requirements
  for admission are set by the State of Tennessee.
• Student admission into the Voluntary Pre-K program is determined by income eligibility.
• The VPK Program is for City of Bartlett residents only.
• If you are applying as a Shared Resident, you MUST complete the paperwork and be approved by Student Services.
• These students MUST be 4 years old by August 15, 2025.
• The VPK program has three (3) locations, Bartlett Elementary, Rivercrest Elementary and Oak Elementary.
• The VPK classroom has a total of 20 students with one (1) teacher and a teaching assistant in each room. 
• The child will only be considered fully enrolled AFTER the parent and child attends a MANDATORY parent/teacher conference and you have been notified of acceptance.

        Pre School - Positive Peer/General Ed Pre School (3 & 4 Year Olds)

The BCS Special Education Preschool is an excellent program that offers preschoolers, with and without disabilities, enriching and challenging experiences through language-based curriculum.

BCS has ten (10) preschool classrooms under the Department of Exceptional Children. Preschool classrooms are located at Altruria Elementary, Bartlett Elementary, Bon Lin Elementary, Oak Elementary, and Rivercrest Elementary. 

• Six of these classrooms are special education classrooms that will utilize one to three positive peer model to serve as role models and peer helpers to children with special needs. 
• Four classrooms are general education preschool classrooms with a 50/50 ratio. 

All preschool classrooms are structured teaching environments where children with and without special needs learn together in a classroom that is staffed with one teacher and two paraprofessionals. 
 

Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Program

• Students must qualify for the VPK program based on income eligibility.  
• BCS will attempt to accommodate parent request regarding location
  selection for student.  
• Student MUST be potty trained.
• PreK classrooms follow the same school hours as the school which they are located.
• Transportation is not provided. Parents must transport students to and from the school campus daily. Before and after school care is not provided. 
• All children must meet entrance requirements even if they have siblings who participated in the PreK program in the past.

Pre School (Positive Peer/General Education Pre School)

Student must:

• Be a Bartlett resident or meet Priority one requirements in BCS transfer procedures.
• Be three (3) years old (but not yet 5) by August 15, 2025.
• Be completely toilet trained.
• Score 80% or higher on the developmental screening conducted by our staff. Students are screened for age-appropriate development and school readiness skills, speech/language, and behavior.
• Additional information:
• Parents must be able to provide transportation.
• If your child has an IEP for speech/language or other eligibility category, they are not eligible to be a positive peer. 
• Screenings will be by appointment only. 
• Once the screenings have been completed, you will receive a letter (via email) informing you if your child is being considered as a positive peer.  
• All application and screening results for children who are selected as candidates, will be to your 1st or 2nd choice. All attempts will be made to send the information to your first choice; however, this is not always possible.  Priority is given to children of Bartlett City Schools employees