Early Childhood Education
Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK)
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Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) is a free, state-funded program that prepares children for kindergarten. Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the school year in which they are enrolling.
Need info about our FREE Summer VPK program? Visit our Summer VPK page.
VPK provides developmentally appropriate activities in literacy, language, science, social studies, math, health, safety, art and music. The program will help children develop skills they need to be strong readers, improving their chances of success in school. Most classes have 18 to 20 students and are staffed by a certified teacher and a child development associate. Some classes are blended to include students who receive exceptional student education services. Follow your child’s development using the FOURS Child Development Checklist & Tips booklet.Questions about VPK? Call 727-588-6513
Watch the Prekindergarten Facebook and YouTube Live Event, to learn about PreK and VPK opportunities: Facebook Link: https://fb.me/e/47p6R1sR6; YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/6DIjLWeKhKI
Apply for Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) for the 2022-2023 School Year
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VPK students must be 4-years-old by Sept. 1 of the year they are attending VPK. To attend VPK, all students must have a Certificate of Eligibility (voucher) from the Early Learning Coalition. Please visit elcpinellas.net/for-families/vpk to apply for the voucher. Families must have the voucher at the time of enrollment at the school. For information about the Certificate of Eligibility, please call the Early Learning Coalition at (727) 400-4411. Early Learning Coalition sites:
- Main Office: 2536 Countryside Blvd. Suite 500, Clearwater, FL 33763
- Lealman Office: 3815 43rd St. Building 8, St. Petersburg, FL 33714
- South County Office: 3420 8th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33711
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Late Application Period
Begins March 21, 2022
VPK Late Application Flyer - English (pdf)
VPK Late Application Flyer - Spanish (pdf)
Get your User ID and Password
Go to any nearby school to obtain a User ID and Password (if you don’t already have one for another child in your family). Please be sure to bring a government-issued photo ID.
Apply for a VPK seat
Log onto the Student Reservation System (SRS) at reservation.pcsb.org. You may use any computer, including school computers, to apply for a seat.
Enroll at the school
Schools will call if they have an opening. To enroll, bring your Certificate of Eligibility (voucher) and the following documents: birth certificate/proof of child’s age, Florida Certificate of Immunization (DH Form 680), physical examination certificate by a licensed examiner, and proof of residency (two forms of documentation required).
Cost
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- VPK is a free, 540 hour program during the school year that is available at many elementary schools. Students attend free for three hours each day, Monday through Friday.
- VPK + 3 extends the VPK day an additional 3 hours so students attend for the full 6-hour school day. Tuition is $65 per week with a non-refundable registration fee that is applied to the last week's tuition.
Free, Full-Day VPK at 26 Sites for the 2022-2023 School Year!
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At all VPK programs, students attend free for three hours each day, Monday through Friday. Next school year, Pinellas County Schools will offer free, full-day, six-hour VPK at 26 select locations:
Bay Point Elementary, Bear Creek Elementary, Belleair Elementary, Blanton Elementary, Campbell Park Elementary, Dunedin Elementary, Eisenhower Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Gulfport Elementary, High Point Elementary, Kings Hwy Elementary, Lakeview Fundamental, Lakewood Elementary, Lealman Ave Elementary, Maximo Elementary, Melrose Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, New Heights Elementary, Pinellas Park Elementary, Ponce de Leon Elementary, Seventy-Fourth Street Elementary, Sexton Elementary, Skycrest Elementary, Skyview Elementary, Tarpon Springs Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary
See a full list of VPK sites below.
Special Programs
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- Dual Language VPK is available at Garrison-Jones Elementary, where students spend half the day learning in English and half the day learning in Spanish. Many students in this program apply for the K-5 dual language program at the school.
- Kings Highway Early Childhood Center is located at the Kings Highway Center for Innovation and Digital Learning. The school provides several early childhood programs, including VPK, where students receive violin instruction twice a week and have additional technology in the classrooms.
2022-2023 School Year VPK Sites
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Anona Elementary
Azalea Elementary
Bardmoor Elementary
Bauder Elementary
Bay Point Elementary*
Bear Creek Elementary*
Belcher Elementary
Belleair Elementary*
Blanton Elementary*
Brooker Creek Elementary
Campbell Park Elementary*
Cross Bayou Elementary
Curlew Creek Elementary
Cypress Woods Elementary
Dunedin Elementary*
Eisenhower Elementary*
Fairmount Park Elementary*
Forest Lakes Elementary
Frontier Elementary
Fuguitt Elementary
Garrison-Jones Elementary
Gulfport Elementary*
Highland Lakes Elementary
High Point Elementary*
Jamerson Elementary
Kings Hwy. Elementary*
Lake St. George Elementary
Lakeview Fundamental*
Lakewood Elementary*
Lealman Elementary*
Leila Davis
Little Cougars @ Countryside High
Little Packers @ Largo High
Lynch Elementary
Maximo Elementary*McMullen Booth Elementary
Melrose Elementary*
Mildred Helms Elementary
Mt. Vernon Elementary*
New Heights Elementary*
North Shore Elementary
Northwest Elementary
Oakhurst Elementary
Oldsmar Elementary
Orange Grove Elementary
Ozona Elementary
Perkins Elementary
Pinellas Central Elementary
Pinellas Park Elementary*
Plumb Elementary
Ponce de Leon Elementary*
Rawlings Elementary
Ridgecrest Elementary
Safety Harbor Elementary
San Jose Elementary
Sawgrass Lake Elementary
Seminole Elementary
Seventy-fourth Street Elementary*
Sexton Elementary*
Shore Acres Elementary
Skycrest Elementary*
Skyview Elementary*
Southern Oak Elementary
Starkey Elementary
Sunset Hills Elementary
Sutherland Elementary
Tarpon Springs Elementary*
Walsingham Elementary
Westgate Elementary
Woodlawn Elementary*
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*Free full day programs with Certificate of Eligibility (voucher)