Registration

Washington Street Preschool accepts families of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

Families already in our program must re-enroll their children each year. Currently enrolled children and their siblings are given priority in our program for the next school term. All new families are admitted as space is available and if necessary by lottery. Please see our Admission Policy for more details.

Enrollment Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for the upcoming school year. During our initial enrollment period, 2027-2028 applications will be due by February 22, 2027. In conjunction with the other half-day preschools in Alexandria, acceptance emails will be sent on Friday, February 26th.

Applications are welcome beyond February and children will be placed as space is available. A $80.00 non-refundable application fee must accompany each application for enrollment. Private tours are available for prospective families and may be scheduled by appointment with the Director throughout the school year.

Financial Assistance

Washington Street Preschool has a small need based scholarship fund which can help families who are interested in enrolling their children. Please contact the Director to learn more about this resource.

Vaccination Policy

As of January 1, 2026, our preschool does not accept religious exemptions from immunization requirements. WSUMCP accepts only students who are “adequately or age appropriately immunized in accordance with the minimum requirements for attending school based upon the State Board of Health”, and certified by your physician’s office. Exemptions will be made in cases of documented medical necessity. Children on approved modified vaccination schedules are accepted; religious exemptions are not.

Children with Special Needs

WSUMCP is committed to meeting the needs of each enrolled child, ensuring they are in an environment that will best support their growth and learning. As such, WSUMCP welcomes applications from children with mild delays and/or disabilities. Mild delays and or/disabilities may include, among other things, students with a gross or fine motor delay or a speech delay. WSUMCP cannot accommodate children with intense support needs for behavior management or personal care. To discern whether WSUMCP might be an appropriate placement for your child with special needs, please schedule a meeting with the Director to discuss your specific situation when applying for enrollment. Enrollment of children with delays and/or disabilities will be considered on a case-by-case basis to assure proper placement.

Additionally, we know there are students who may enroll with WSUMCP and later be identified as needing additional support by WSUMCP staff or early intervention professionals. Accommodations for children who require additional support will be made in consultation with the family and any appropriate medical and/or educational intervention personnel working with the child. Unfortunately, sometimes a student’s evolving needs may exceed what our preschool can provide, and the family will be asked to find another placement for that student. While these are not easy situations to navigate, our preschool strives to ensure every child is in the optimal learning environment for their specific needs.

WSUMCP cannot provide additional staff to support an individual child’s needs. If a child is offered placement in a preschool program through Early Childhood Intervention, this is an indication that WSUMCP is not the optimal learning environment for this child.

WSUMCP works closely with Child Find and other Early Childhood Intervention programs and welcomes in-classroom support from these programs. If a family wishes to provide a one-on-one support person at their own cost, this must be addressed on a case-by-case basis and approved by the Director (with input from the Board). Any one-on-one support person would first be considered on a trial basis to ensure this support can integrate successfully into the classroom.

Brightwheel

The Preschool uses Brightwheel, a registration management system, to register families. Prospective families must tour (virtually or in-person) before they will receive the application link.