Applications open for Tempe PRE Jan. 11
Full-day, high-quality preschool offers tuition options, accepts DES child care assistance

Tempe, AZ - Tempe PRE, the City of Tempe’s full-day preschool program, will begin accepting online applications for the upcoming school year at 8 a.m. Jan. 11. Families who live in Tempe and surrounding cities are encouraged to apply; various tuition options are available and state child care assistance is accepted.
 
Tempe PRE is offered in partnership with the Tempe Elementary School District and available on eight school campuses. The program accepts children ages 3 and 4 who are fully potty-trained. Students must turn 3 by July 24, the start of the school year, to be eligible.
 
Families whose children will turn 3 between July 25 - Aug. 31 may still apply and wait for their applications to be processed as children become eligible.
 
Tempe offers full-tuition, half-tuition and free options depending on eligibility. Options include:

- Full tuition of $750 per month ($770 with extended care): All families who live in Tempe or surrounding cities.

- Half tuition of $375 per month ($385 with extended care): Tempe families with an income between 200 - 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

- Free: Tempe families with an income at or below 200% of the FPL.

Tempe PRE offers a range of benefits, including early childhood education-certified teaching staff, small class sizes and a play-based curriculum. Preschool classrooms participate in Quality First, a program of First Things First, which partners with regulated early childhood providers in Arizona to make quality improvements that help young children thrive. 
 
With classrooms at Tempe Elementary schools, students have access to support staff such as nurses and amenities like school playgrounds. Families may also have an easier transition to kindergarten if they choose to remain at the same school.

Application process
 
The timeline for processing applications depends on the tuition option selected by families. For children turning 3 by July 24:

- Applications for free or half tuition will be part of a lottery. The city will randomly select applications for processing beginning March 11; new applications will be pulled for processing every month.  

- Applications for full tuition are processed as they come into the city.  

DES assistance
 
Tempe PRE accepts child care assistance from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), which allows the city to expand access to preschool. Families interested in free or half tuition are required to apply for DES assistance once they are selected for enrollment in Tempe PRE.

Families who do not qualify for DES assistance may still be eligible for financial assistance through the city if they are Tempe residents or through Quality First and meet certain income qualifications.

About Tempe PRE
 
The Tempe City Council launched Tempe PRE as a two-year pilot in August 2017, offering free preschool with the goal of boosting kindergarten readiness. Councilmembers later extended the program and introduced a sliding-scale tuition plan intended to widen availability to families and add to the program’s financial sustainability. 

To contact staff: [email protected] or call 480-662-6340. 

Get details about applying for preschool

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