Everett Public Schools has opened registration for its 2026–2027 preschool and pre-kindergarten programs.
The city announced enrollment began Monday, March 16, and families are being told to schedule a registration appointment if they want a spot.
There is one detail here that actually matters: Everett is adding a new full-day preschool option this year.
That sounds simple enough. It is also limited. The city says placement for full-day preschool will be decided through a lottery system.
So if you are a parent reading the city website and assuming “registration open” means “seat guaranteed,” that is not what the notice says.
Half-day preschool spots are still available, according to the city.
The preschool program is for children who are three years old by September 1. The city says those classrooms are aimed at first-time learners and focus on basic school routines: separating from caregivers, taking turns, and learning how to speak up for themselves. The curriculum is described as play-based, with social-emotional growth and age-appropriate pre-academic learning.
Pre-kindergarten is for children who are four years old by September 1, or for children in their second year of preschool. Everett says those classrooms focus on “child-directed learning,” with certified teachers helping students build planning and organization skills. The city also says the program is meant to balance academic skill-building with continued social-emotional development.
None of this is controversial. It is basic school information. But it is also the kind of information families need early, plainly, and without the usual city-hall fog machine.
The practical takeaway is straightforward.
If your child will be three or four by September 1, and you want Everett Public Schools preschool or pre-K, book the registration appointment now. Especially if you are interested in the new full-day preschool option, because the city is explicitly saying space is limited and seats will be assigned by lottery.
The city’s announcement does not include much more than that. No seat totals. No breakdown of how many full-day slots exist. No explanation of whether demand is expected to exceed supply beyond the lottery language. Just the standard instruction to go to the Everett Public Schools Preschool & Pre-K page and start the process.
For families trying to line up child care, work schedules, and school readiness, those details are not small. They are the whole ballgame.
But for now, the official word is this: registration is open, appointments are required, half-day preschool remains available, and full-day preschool is new and limited.