OXFORD — Oxford Hills School District officials said this week that the prekindergarten program now at four of the district’s elementary schools is successfully preparing youngsters for entry into kindergarten.

“What we see is our program is making a difference,” Paris Elementary School Principal Jane Fahey said. She oversees a prekindergarten program in her school. “It’s aligned with our curriculum. It’s aligned with what we are doing.”

The four programs include one at the Paris Elementary, which was implemented four years ago. The others are at Rowe Elementary in Norway; Oxford Elementary; and Waterford Memorial Elementary, which were all started this school year.

There are 36 students at Paris, and about 18 at the other schools. The program is three days a week and 50 percent of students are Head Start eligible. There is on average one certified teacher and one educational technician for every 18 students.

Test scores show that students in the prekindergarten program last year were above all incoming kindergarten students last fall who did not have that schooling. In other tests over the last few years, the majority of the preschool students tested above non-preschool kindergarten students in many areas.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful program,” school district Curriculum Director Kathy Elkins said.

School administrators told the Board of Directors at their meeting Monday night that despite the successes, there are challenges ahead as they continue and hopefully expand the program.

“Funding to expand the program is not there so we do the best we can to serve the kids,” Oxford Elementary School Principal Kim Ramharter said. Harrison youngsters are not being served by the prekindergarten program, and there are more children on the waiting list than there are spaces available in other schools.

While there is no program at Harrison Elementary School, administrators said they are looking into combining those students with the Waterford school program during the next school year.

George Sincerbeaux, principal of the Rowe Elementary School, said the most important skill he sees coming out of the program is the social skills the children are learning.

“It’s probably the most important aspect of the program,” he said.

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