Through local philanthropic support and continued investment, including an incredible contribution from the Vail Resorts Epic Promise Foundation and Park City Mountain, the Park City School District preschool program has expanded significantly since its launch. We were thrilled to see recent Upw ards data showing a 325% return on investment from the Park City and Summit County childcare scholarships within our community. In the early 2010s, the school district and the Park City Education Foundation foresaw the need for a strong early‑childhood public education offering. Through our partnership, the first preschool cohort within the district began at one school, McPolin Elementary, with only half‑days a few days a week during the 2011–12 school year. In the 14 school years since the first cohort, the foundation has invested nearly $1.5 million, and the school district has invested more than $6 million to expand preschool to each elementary school, offering a full-day option for families with 3 and 4 year olds. Next school year, we have the largest preschool cohort in our district’s history, with 222 students enrolled. It’s a testament to our community that we no longer view preschool as an innovative offering but as an essential part of our youngest learners’ educational journey. Though the school district receives no state funding for preschool, the program has been made possible by a trifecta of community-wide investment: local government, private philanthropy and corporate support.  The research on early childhood education is unambiguous. Children who attend preschool are better prepared for kindergarten than children who do not, resulting in less need for intensive, expensive interventions throughout a student’s school journey. For these reasons, few public expenditures offer a greater return on investment for our community than early childhood education.  As the recent Upwards impact report showed, in our own community, every dollar invested yields $4.25 in measurable economic value. And for every dollar invested in early childhood education, we see up to a $16 return based on tangible benefits to children over their lifetimes, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. Our community views early childhood education as a public good for all, regardless of income, and we are making that a reality here in Park City. This is something to celebrate. Let’s embrace this opportunity to serve as a model for other communities around the state and country. This is what it looks like when a community rallies around and invests in the possibilities of a strong early childhood education program. Lyndsay Huntsman Superintendent, Park City School District Deirdra Walsh VP and COO, Park City Mountain Ingrid Whitley President and CEO, Park City Education Foundation The post Preschool is essential appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less