Is Iowa preschool free at a Des Moines-area private school?
Only where the school is a community partner of its public district. The state funds districts, which may run classrooms themselves or contract with community programs, including nonpublic and faith-based ones. Ask the school whether its four-year-old class is an SWVPP partner classroom.
The state-funded portion is at least 10 hours a week. Providers may add hours and child care, which can carry a charge when no public funding covers them.
How big is the program?
In 2023-24 it ran in 322 of Iowa's 324 districts with 238 community partners, the Department of Education's Winter 2025 fact sheet reports.
What Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program is and isn't
| It is | It isn't |
|---|---|
| At least 10 funded hours a week for 4-year-olds | Full-day child care |
| Offered through districts and their partners | An ESA for preschool |