If you have a small child, this headline probably got your attention. CommuniKids, a language immersion pre-school, will open next August, 2022 at 2121 Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park, and yes, they will offer free pre-K 3 and 4 in addition to their other services. At the Glover Park location CommuniKids offers a Spanish immersion education which is known to improve cognitive skills and stimulate creativity.
CommuniKids is excited to partner with the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to offer a limited number of pre-K 3 and 4 slots (roughly age 3-5, see their birthday guidelines here). This is not a need-based program, and the only requirement is that you are a DC resident. Applications are due by March 2nd 2022 for the lottery for fall enrollment. The number of free spaces is uncertain at the moment, and depends on OSSE’s budget and the number of applications received, according to Mindi Susskind, Director of Marketing. They will have additional space available for paid tuition, and they can accommodate up to 140 students in total – their largest CommuniKids location in DC!
The need for pre-K services in Glover Park has been great, considering Stoddert Elementary School was compelled to eliminate one of its two free public school pre-K classes years ago due to space limitations. Now, they accommodate only 19 students, while applications for the DCPS lottery totaled 304 this year. In recent years, only siblings in-boundary have had a shot at Stoddert pre-K4 (and not even that is guaranteed). The pressure has been easing with the addition of private care so that parents do not need to travel far for the care of their kids, yet private pre-K can be quite expensive. KinderCare opened at 2461 Wisconsin in Glover Park earlier this year, and offers infant care, preschool and kindergarten. Kumon Learning Center at 2200 Wisconsin in Glover Park has a focus on after-school math and reading programs.
The CommuniKids Glover Park location will be a Spanish immersion program only, while their Falls Church VA location offers Mandarin and French as well. Regular yearly tuition for ages 18 months to 5 years will run around $20K +/- which is in the average range for off-site infant and toddler care in DC. In addition to the free pre-K lottery, they will accept subsidies as well. Get your application in now here!
