The Warren County R-III School District and Youth in Need have nearly completed a partnership to create a pre-kindergarten program. Once an agreement is finalized, pre-K classes will be in operation Monday through Thursday at Daniel Boone Elementary, Warrior Ridge Elementary and Rebecca Boone Elementary beginning in August. Each school will have 20 students enrolled in separate morning and afternoon sessions, district officials said. Overall, the program will be open to 120 students, with 28 spaces occupied by Head Start students. The remaining spots will be filled by children from the community on a “need based” basis. The program would be free to families who have children enrolled. The school board voted 5-0 to approve the agreement at its March 8 meeting. Board member Teresa Scot abstained since her daughter-in-law is employed by Youth in Need; David Housewright was absent. The agreement must still be voted on by the Youth in Need Board of Directors, which is expected to occur within the next 10 days, Superintendent Dr. Tom Muzzey said Monday. “We feel it’s a very attractive program.” The pre-K program will cost $163,702.05 to implement, with $98,393.95 to be covered by the district. Youth in Need will pay the remaining $65,308.10. The bulk of the funds will be used to hire three teachers, who will be required to have degrees, and three assistant teachers. That cost will be $122,259.45. The district also will create a new position to oversee the program, which amounts to $39,936 covering salary and benefits. Youth in Need provides a wide array of programs including case management, counseling and education development for more than 10,000 families in a six-county area in eastern Missouri. The agency currently operates the Marvin Marks Child Development Center and Warren County Head Start office in Warrenton. Muzzey said he hopes the new program will provide a seamless transition for students since a consistent curriculum will be taught as they enter kindergarten. “This is the first step in the right direction to begin planning for a preschool program for the district,” Muzzey said. “By partnering, we reduce costs to start the program, and tap into the skills and training that Youth in Need has with their staff.” The one-year agreement goes into effect July 1 and ends June 30, 2013, with classes in session from August to June during that period. Families will learn in July or August if they will be enrolled in the program. Priority will be given to children who will be attending kindergarten in the 2013-14 school year, but younger children will be enrolled when those spaces have not been filled. As part of the pre-K agreement, families with students enrolled will be invited to monthly meetings, all families will meet four times with Youth in Need staff at their home or school, and students will be expected to maintain an 85-percent attendance rate in order to continue in the program. Students also will have access to the district’s breakfast and lunch programs, according to Muzzey. He said the district and Youth in Need have had a mutual interest in developing a pre-K program during conversations between the two, but the idea gained traction during committee meetings on the district’s restructuring process. Beginning in August, all three elementary schools in the district will house kindergarten through fifth grades classes. “It became obvious there was a need and a demand for some kind of pre-K program,” Muzzey said.