Jackson – As some schools in Amador County are struggling with losses of student bodies, the earliest students in the system are showing a boom. Amador State Preschools Director Dorothy Putnam-Smith said she has seen the biggest crowd of children ever in preschool this year, even before the first day of school. “I’ve never seen so many,” said Putnam-Smith, even with declining enrollment in other schools around the county. She said: “This is the first time ever that I was full before school started.” She said all 4 preschool sites in the county were filled before school started, August 19th. She said this year she has 96 kids to keep enrolled in the program. She said there are 3 or 4 children on a waiting list for the Ione Preschool, at Ione Elementary School, and 3 or 4 children on a waiting list for the Jackson Preschool, on the campus of Argonaut High School. Putnam-Smith tells parents about other options in the area, and it depends on if they are working parents or not. She said the preschool program tries “to take all the 4-year-old first that are going to go into kindergarten,” then they take the 3-year-olds. Other programs, once the preschools fill, include First 5’s Bridge To Kindergarten, the Head Start program in Ione, and in Jackson a few private preschools. There is also the Monarch Montessori in Plymouth, and parents can call the Resource Connection to be referred to some other private preschools. Amador Preschools include classes at Argonaut high, Ione Elementary, Plymouth Elementary School and Pioneer Elementary School. Putnam-Smith, is director of all 4 Amador County state preschools. She said: “If people want their child in preschool, get on the waiting list, because there is next year.” Kids that turn 5 by December will go into kindergarten. The waiting list might also get kids into preschool this year. Putnam-Smith said “people are moving because of the economy, so there might be openings in the middle of the year.” To contact Amador State Preschools, call (209) 257-5338. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.