Preschool

Department of Early Childhood Education

The 25-26 lottery was conducted on March 26, 2025. Results were emailed to families on March 27, 2025. Please see below for FAQ.

You can access our Parent Academy for incoming Raising Raider students and families here!!

You can check out and purchase Raising Raiders spiritwear here!!!!!

For general inquiries about the Raising Raiders program, please email preschool@nutleyschools.org

Frequently Asked Questions about Preschool

How many seats were added to the program this year?

The lottery was conducted on March 26, 2025. Results were emailed to the applicants on March 27,2025.

90 new seats were added to the program for the 25-26 school year for a total of 285 seats for the 25-26 school year. Currently enrolled 3 year old students are automatically enrolled as 4 year old students. Seats are also reserved for students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). As per NJDOE special education code, students with IEPs are placed in the preschool program at the discretion of the Child Study Team. As a result of all of the above mentioned factors, 175 General Education students were selected in the 25-26 lottery.

Do I have to be a Nutley resident to enroll my child in the preschool program?

Yes, you must be a Nutley resident to attend the Nutley Raising Raiders preschool program. Please note you must provide all required proofs of residency in order for your child to attend the preschool program. Registration information can be found here.

Does my child have to be toilet trained to enroll in the program?

No, your child does not need to be toilet trained to enroll in the program. Our staff will work with families on toilet training while enrolled in the program.

How old does my child have to be to participate in the program?

For the 25-26 school year, students must be 3 years of age on or before October 1, 2025 or 4 years of age on or before October 1, 2025. If your child turns 5 years old on or before October 1, 2025, you must register your child for kindergarten.

My student was placed on the waitlist. Now what?

Families will be called from the waitlist in the event a family declines their seat, or disenrolled from the program. Students initially selected from the lottery must complete the registration process by May 1, 2025. Failure to do so will result in loss of the seat and moving to the waitlist. If you are selected from the waitlist you will be notified of your registration deadline which will be later than May 1, 2025.

How long is the preschool program? Does my child have to attend five days a week? Does my child have to attend full day?

The program is five days a week, 6 hours a day. Preschool follows the Nutley school calendar for all school breaks, delayed openings and early dismissals. Arrival and dismissal time may vary by location. Students must attend five days a week for the 6 hour program, provided they are not sick.

Where will the preschool classes be held for the 2025-2026 school year?

We will continue to offer a mixed delivery model of both district and provider locations. Currently we anticipate having district classes located at Spring Garden Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, and the new preschool annex building located at 777 Bloomfield Avenue. Additionally, we are pleased to continue to partner with Community School and Preschool Learn Time. Please note that locations are subject to change.

Is extended day available for preschool students?

Currently, extended day services are available at our two provider locations, The Community School and Preschool Learn Time. Additionally, extended day services are available at our annex preschool.

Will parent preference be taken into account for placement of my child?

Student placement is at the discretion of the district. A variety of factors are considered when determining student placement. Parental preference may be considered but cannot be guaranteed.

What curriculum is used in the Raising Raiders Preschool program?

The district implements state approved, “The Creative Curriculum for Preschool” in our preschool classrooms.

How does the lottery work?

Every entrant application is placed on either the selected list or the waitlist based on the order in which their application is randomly drawn. Parents will be notified via email of their child’s status once the lottery is conducted. Those children who did not get selected are immediately placed on a waitlist in the order of their assigned number via the lottery process.

Please see below for the 25-26 Raising Raiders Preschool Application.

Tuition-Free Full-Day Preschool

If you would like to submit an application for enrollment for the Raising Raiders PreK program for the 25-26 school year, please click HERE.

Currently enrolled students do not need to submit another application. Students on the 24-25 waitlist but not enrolled WILL need to complete another application. Completion of this application does not guarantee placement. More information regarding placement will be provided on the website at a later date. Please check the website for updated information Applications for students received after the lottery will be automatically placed on the waitlist.

Raising Raiders PreK Program Information

Nutley Public Schools is fortunate to have the opportunity to provide free, high-quality preschool to enrolled students. We provide a 6 hour school day program, Monday through Friday, for our 3 and 4 year old students. Hours are typically 8:20-2:20 but are subject to vary depending on the location. Raising Raiders follows the Nutley Public Schools calendar, in all locations.

AGE REQUIREMENT: In order to be eligible for a 3-year-old class, your child must be 3-years-old by October 1, 2025. In order to be eligible for a 4-year-old classroom, your child must be 4-years-old by October 1, 2025.

All students must be a resident of Nutley in order to maintain enrollment in our program.

Any questions regarding the Raising Raiders PreK program should be directed to April Vitiello, Supervisor of Early Childhood at avitiello@nutleyschools.org.

Preschool for Students with Disabilities

Preschool students with disabilities may be eligible for special education services as indicated under federal law, IDEA, and state law, N.J.A.C. 1:6A. In order to receive special education services, the pre-school child will need to be referred to the Child Study Team for evaluation. Children may be eligible for services on the day of their third birthday. The initial referral should be directed to the Director of Special Services. Once a referral is received, a meeting will be convened with the parent and the pre-school Child Study Team. If the parents and the child study team agree to conduct an evaluation, an evaluation plan will be designed. An evaluation plan typically includes a multi-disciplinary set of evaluations such as a cognitive assessment, social assessment and a speech and language evaluation. Other evaluations may be added if needed. Once the evaluations are completed, an eligibility meeting will be held to determine the student's eligibility for services. If the student is eligible for special education services, an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) will be developed and services will be initiated. Please visit the Special Services page for more information.