Kindergartners will no longer be the youngest of the bunch at Lyman Elementary School.

Beginning Sept. 9, the elementary school will open its doors to youngsters enrolled in a new preschool and toddler program conducted by the Sedro-Woolley Co-op Preschool.

The preschool will be the co-op’s second branch campus. Its other is at Clear Lake Elementary School, where it opened last school year.

The preschool is the first of its kind at Lyman Elementary and will provide parents and their young students a local opportunity to prepare for kindergarten.

“I’m really excited for preschoolers to have the opportunity to learn, play, socialize and get ready for kindergarten,” Lyman Elementary Principal Lisa White said.

White initiated bringing a preschool to the school to better prepare children for kindergarten. She said some of the incoming students were lacking necessary skills for kindergarten.

Parents were previously limited with where they could enroll their preschool-aged children in the Lyman and Hamilton area, said Jamie Maloney, who will instruct the preschool and toddler programs at Lyman Elementary.

She previously worked at the Clear Lake branch campus for two years.

Parents took their children to preschool in Concrete or to a combination daycare and preschool in Lyman.

Maloney, who lives in the Lyman area, said she had trouble finding a local preschool to enroll her children in. Her daughter will attend the preschool at Lyman Elementary this fall.

“I’m excited to see the excitement for families who have found one here,” Maloney said.

White said having a preschool at Lyman Elementary will bridge the home, school and community atmosphere. She said she “loves having community members in the school” and the preschool is another way to provide that.

The Sedro-Woolley Co-op Preschool works cooperatively with the parents of the preschool students, Maloney said. The students’ parents are required to volunteer in the classroom at least twice a month.

By not having so many teachers in the classroom, the price for paying for the program is cheaper, Maloney said. An adviser from Skagit Valley College attends the preschool once a month and provides educational opportunities for parents.

So far, both the preschool and toddler programs are nearly full. However, White said parents can add their child’s name to a waiting list.

Registration for the toddler and preschool programs are not restricted to what school district the child lives in or their family’s economic status.

The preschool, which will cost $100 per month per child, will be held during the school year from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The toddler program, which will cost $65 per child per month, will be held during the same hours as the preschool Tuesdays and Thursdays.

At Clear Lake Elementary, the preschool will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and the toddler program on Tuesday and Thursday at the same time.

White said she is looking forward to providing educational activities to younger students in the Lyman and Hamilton areas.

“I just think the sooner you can teach kids the fun of learning then we’re getting everyone on the right track,” she said.