The Colonial School District board received an update Nov. 4 on the state‑funded early care and education program (ECAP), including capacity, tuition and enrollment, and discussed plans to expand access into the southern end of the district.

Sarah Milner, ECAP coordinator, told the board that Colwick currently has 50 state‑funded seats and that about 30 applications for families with income‑based needs are on the ECAP wait list. "Everything has been going quite well," Milner said, while noting last year's presentation had been a difficult "deer‑in‑headlights" moment for staff but that this year she could provide more detail and updates. Milner said staff provide wait‑list families with information about other state‑funded early care options in New Castle County in coordination with regional programs.

Milner gave tuition figures for district pre‑K programs included in the packet: for three‑year‑old half‑day classes the tuition is $200 per month (for 10 months); for full‑day pre‑K the tuition is $400 per month (for 10 months). She said the district's ECAP and related services currently enroll 329 students total (including BK, EC and itinerant placements) and that Colwick operates 21 classrooms and has "maximized every inch of space" with no open classrooms available.

Board members raised access and transportation concerns for families from the southern part of the district, where growth and new housing developments were described as increasing demand. One board member noted that transportation schedules and families' work hours can be a barrier to enrollment when programs are located only in one part of the district. The board expressed support for planning to place ECAP seats in the southern end of the district to better serve families across Colonial.

During the public‑comment period, Donna, speaking for the Delaware Teachers Institute and identifying herself as a 29‑year teacher in Red Clay, thanked "Doctor Menzer and the entire Colonial School District" for the district's partnership with the institute. She described teacher seminars that produce standards‑based curriculum units and leadership opportunities that keep teachers in classrooms while developing their content knowledge.

What happens next: District staff said they will continue to explore site and scheduling options to expand ECAP seats and to coordinate with county and state early‑learning programs to reduce barriers for families on the wait list.