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Jan. 22, 2026 - The awards recognize magnet schools for outstanding academics, innovation, leadership and community engagement.
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VPK Program for 2026-2027
Voluntary Prekindergarten is a program provided in conjunction with the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas to ensure a strong start in kindergarten and beyond.
VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten for 4-Year-Olds):
-
For children who are four years old on or before September 1
- Free three-hour program with an option to extend to the full school day
- Hands-on, play-based learning aligned with Florida Early Learning and Development Standards
- Encourages exploration, creativity, and critical thinking.
- Focus on early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills.
- Programs at most elementary school sites across Pinellas County
The second application period for VPK will begin February 2, 2026, and end on February 11, 2026.
VPK families must apply for a certificate of eligibility with the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County starting January 1, 2026. Please visit the Early Learning Coalition and complete the online application for the Certificate of Eligibility. For additional information about the certificate, please call the Early Learning Coalition at (727) 400-4411.
- Extend VPK to the full school day. Children attending the full day will have a weekly tuition of $125.00/week at elementary school sites. VPK full day tuition at the Little Packers program will be $150.00/week.
- Tuition assistance will be available for families that qualify for the Free or Reduced Lunch Program. This initiative will extend VPK to the full elementary school day for children whose families qualify. To qualify, families must complete the school lunch application. The application will be available in August prior to the start of the program year. Families qualifying for reduced lunch will have a reduced rate of weekly tuition set at $30.00. Families qualifying for free lunch will have tuition waived for full school day enrollment.
- There will be a non-refundable registration fee of $100.00 due at the time of enrollment for full-day VPK. The only sites that will not require a registration fee are Campbell Park Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Kings Highway Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Maximo Elementary and Melrose Elementary.
- Free full-day VPK is provided at six sites. Tuition and registration are free at these sites. See schools listed in italics on the table below.
- Full-day VPK will be discounted at elementary school sites for students who have a parent and/or legal guardian who is a full-time benefit-eligible PCS employee. Our Employee and Community Preschool site at Largo High School will also offer a discount for students who have a parent and/or a legal guardian who is a full-time benefit-eligible PCS employee. The PCS employee discounted rate will be $50.00/week at elementary school sites and $90.00/week at Largo High School.
2026-2027 VPK Sites
| Anona Elementary | Melrose Elementary* |
| Azalea Elementary | Mildred Helms Elementary |
| Bardmoor Elementary | Mt. Vernon Elementary |
| Bauder Elementary | New Heights Elementary |
| Bay Point Elementary | North Shore Elementary |
| Bear Creek Elementary | Northwest Elementary |
| Belcher Elementary | Oakhurst Elementary |
| Belleair Elementary | Oldsmar Elementary |
| Blanton Elementary | Orange Grove Elementary |
| Brooker Creek Elementary | Ozona Elementary |
| Campbell Park Elementary* | Perkins Elementary |
| Cross Bayou Elementary | Pinellas Central Elementary |
| Curlew Creek Elementary | Pinellas Park Elementary |
| Cypress Woods Elementary | Plumb Elementary |
| Dunedin Elementary | Ponce de Leon Elementary |
| Eisenhower Elementary | Rawlings Elementary |
| Fairmount Park Elementary* | Ridgecrest Elementary |
| Forest Lakes Elementary | Safety Harbor Elementary |
| Frontier Elementary | San Jose Elementary |
| Fuguitt Elementary | Sawgrass Lake Elementary |
| Garrison-Jones Elementary | Seminole Elementary |
| Gulfport Elementary | Seventy-Fourth Street Elementary |
| Highland Lakes Elementary | Sexton Elementary |
| High Point Elementary | Shore Acres Elementary |
| Kings Highway Elementary* | Skycrest Elementary |
| Lake St. George Elementary | Skyview Elementary |
| Lakeview Fundamental | Starkey Elementary |
| Lakewood Elementary* | Sunset Hills Elementary |
| Lealman Elementary | Sutherland Elementary |
| Leila Davis Elementary | Tarpon Springs Elementary |
| Little Packers @ Largo High | Walsingham Oaks K-8 |
| Lynch Elementary | Westgate Elementary |
| Maximo Elementary* | Woodlawn Elementary |
| McMullen Booth Elementary |
*Free full-day programs