Next school year will bring a change to the moniker of the Mercer Island School District’s Early Education Program.

The program that is housed at Northwood Elementary School will now be known as the MISD Inclusive Preschool Program and welcome about 40 students with and without disabilities through the doors.

Beth DeGrace, the district’s assistant director of special services, discussed the change: “Our families in the community really know our program to serve students with disabilities. I felt like we did need to change the name to reflect the change that we are making, which is to provide an inclusive environment for students on the Island, including those with and without disabilities.”

DeGrace said the growing preschool program should rise from its current enrollment of 25 for the half-day morning and afternoon sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. For the four total sessions with 10 students in each one, the district aims to have 50 percent of the students receiving special education services.

Parents are excited with the district’s new direction and want their children to be part of the program, DeGrace said of those Islanders she’s interacted with. She added that through research, they’ve found that the inclusive environment translates into more meaningful friendships and an enhanced sense of belonging.

The district will continue to utilize its curriculum based on early childhood standards to promote academic, social, communicative, behavioral and motoric growth and development, according to DeGrace and the program’s page on the district website.

At the teaching helm are Washington state certified instructors and up to two trained teacher assistants, as well as a multidisciplinary service team of occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists and other educational specialists who will provide services when the needs arise.

DeGrace said the district’s plans of shifting the program to an inclusive preschool were put on hold due to the pandemic, “So now, I feel like we’re on a great trajectory with the start of next year.”

The changes are both on the state and local level with inclusivity in schools and instruction aligning with the district’s values, DeGrace said.

According to the preschool interest form, applicants must be MISD residents, 3 years old by Sept. 1, 2022, demonstrate strong communication and social skills and participate in a screening process.

For more information, visit https://www.mercerislandschools.org/Page/5864.