How Your Donations are Spent: $125,000 Invested into PCSD Preschool Each Year
Your support means:
- High-quality early childhood education exists in PCSD.
- It is affordable & accessible.
- The Preschool program can expand to meet demand…
- Its capacity increases from 164 to more than 288 next year!
November 11th is a very special date for the Loya family. On that day, 15 years apart, both of Flor Loya’s daughters were born. Jessica turned 19 this year, and her sister, Ivanka, turned 4.
Their birthday isn’t the only thing the sisters have in common. Jessica, a Bright Futures student who graduated from PCHS in 2024, started her PCSD education as a preschool student at McPolin Elementary School - which is where Ivanka goes to school now!
“Seeing her at my preschool is funny for me,” said Jessica. “It’s a full-circle moment - and something I didn’t expect.”
Jessica may not have expected it, but, according to Flor, Ivanka sure did.
“She said, ‘Oh, that was Jessica’s school and it’s going to be mine someday, too! And she loves it. She even likes getting ready to go to school,” Flor said. “Even if she is sleepy - she is excited to go to school.”
Ivanka weighed in to say she loves her new amigos/friends and is learning letters and, more importantly, the names of her favorite colors: “rosa and azul!”
Flor has lived in Park City for 25 years. Of the many things she loves about our community, opportunities for students top the list. It’s so valuable that Ivanka attends Preschool for 3-year-olds, though the schedule means Flor misses out on income - a sacrifice she says is worth it.
“She’s learning how to get along with other kids, she’s making friends,” said Flor. “And that’s why I push her to start now - even for three hours, two days a week. I can’t wait for next year when I can start working again.”
Limited Pre-K hours for 3-year-olds are about to become a thing of the past: next year, families have the option for 3-year-olds to attend preschool full-time, five days a week - and have access to before- and after-school care, too! (See all preschool options for 2025/2026 here.)
PCEF donors provided the seed funding for Preschool back in 2010. These days, PCEF donors provide more than $125,000 in annual funding, helping PCSD provide accessible high-quality preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Scholarships available from the Department of Workforce Services make it even more affordable.
To put the impact affordability could have on Park City families in perspective, a scholarship student's tuition is just $125 per month for a full-day, five-day-a-week program which amounts to only 89 cents per hour for a high quality Preschool experience.
PCEF funding provides programming that raises our district to the highest level - which many in Park City have come to expect. Things like art (EVA), Afterschool, Bright Futures, and Preschool are programs that make PCSD stand out compared to other districts in Utah and even nationwide.
Families in Flor’s hometown must pay for all of their supplies; notebooks, pencils, and even school books, on top of the usual expenses like backpacks and clothes. The costs quickly become prohibitive, and that’s just in elementary school.
“My nieces and nephews are in their 20s,” Flor said. “And they do have a lot more opportunities now, but things in Mexico are harder. There are no scholarships - they have to pay for EVERYTHING. They don’t have programs like PCEF provides here, no programs like Preschool or Bright Futures.”
PCEF’s Bright Futures (BF) equips motivated first-generation students with college knowledge as they work to get to and through post-secondary education.
“It’s amazing - I don’t know how to explain it,” Flor said. “If it wasn’t for those programs, it wouldn’t be possible for Jessica to go to college.”
Not only is Jessica a BF student in her first year at The University of Utah - she has earned so many scholarships that her college education will be fully funded!
Both Flor and Jessica look forward to seeing what’s in store for Ivanka. They know that even as things change, PCEF will be there for the long haul.
Right now, Ivanka’s journey begins just like Jessica’s: with Preschool. Next year, even more students will get the same chance, as seats for students increase from 164 to more than 288, bringing more access and opportunities to local families.
There is exponential value for our community when early childhood education is prioritized. More parents can afford to work and grow economically, families feel supported by and engaged with each other earlier on, and students experience better long-term health outcomes. Not only that, every dollar invested in preschool provides a $5 - $12 dollar return - because when the education gap is addressed before kindergarten, it limits the need for expensive interventions in the early elementary years.
Flor feels so strongly about the opportunities PCEF helps provide that she wants to do something to create positive change.
“I was telling Jessica - if we reach a certain point, we want to start a scholarship for students.”
“I hope I do make it to the point where I can give back to my family and the Park City community,” Jessica agreed. “Family and community - older siblings help the younger ones. The community helps the students. I want to continue the cycle - because, starting with Preschool and now with Bright Futures, that cycle helped me.”
Registration for PCSD's Preschool lottery opens Monday, January 6, 2025.
Longtime partners Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts EpicPromise have provided funding for the Preschool Program since 2014. We are grateful to the Westgate Foundation for their support this year as well.
