A child must be 3 years old by September 1st and be a Barnstable resident to qualify for the Barnstable Public Schools Preschool Program at Enoch Cobb Early Learning Center. Children are selected for regular education spots within the integrated preschool classrooms on a first-come-first-serve basis, as long as spaces are available.
Children selected for the preschool program must first attend a screening session. We begin the screening process in March for the following school year. Children must be at least 2 years and 7 months old to be screened. During the screening session, children engage in a variety of play activities with a small group of other children, while school staff observe how they communicate, participate and interact with others.
Within a week of your child’s screening appointment, you will be notified via email of the outcome:
- Children who meet developmental milestones will qualify for a regular education spot in our program, if available.
- If a child presents with developmental concerns during the screening process, the caregiver will be encouraged to schedule an evaluation to determine if the child qualifies for special education services.
- Children who do not qualify for special education services, but require additional support in order to be successful in the classroom, may qualify for an intervention spot. Intervention spots are limited to two per class.
Applications open in January and close when all spaces are filled. Once all spots are filled for the school year, we will maintain a waiting list of 10 children. Those on the waiting list may be offered a spot in the program at a later date should space become available.
Regular Education and Special Education spaces for the 2023-2024 school year are still available. Intervention spaces for the 2023-2024 school year are full.
2023-2024 Preschool Application
