KINGFIELD — Stakeholders in the proposed development of a pre-kindergarten program for Regional School Unit 58 met Monday night at the first of three community forums.

In April, RSU 58 directors agreed to commit $30,000 to start preparing for pre-kindergarten classes in Phillips, Kingfield and Strong by September 2015. Because RSU 58 has so many income-eligible students, the Maine Department of Education encouraged the district to apply for grants to fund the program.

Forum facilitator and Strong Elementary School Principal Felicia Pease told residents Monday night that the district wanted to hear concerns and suggestions from parents, day care providers and private preschool program providers.

She encouraged people to develop a Wants, Wishes and Worries list to start the dialogue. Pease will hold meetings for Phillips community members at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, and for Strong community members at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.

She said the district is on a state Department of Education list of those applying for federal funding. Those districts that are approved for funding should know their status by December, allowing the RSU 58 board to start budget calculations for 2015-16.

Funding would allow the district to hire staff and enroll 4-year-olds by September 2015. Highly-qualified staffing is a requirement of any pre-kindergarten program, Pease said said.

“There must be two adults in each program,” she said.

Each of the three teachers must have special certification in early childhood education. The teachers will have support services of three highly-trained educational technicians.

Buses would be required to have seat belts, but grant monies could pay for that cost. Breakfast and lunch would be provided through the food service program and served family style, with two adults present at the table.

Students could be introduced to physical education, music, art, library services and other skill-building activities that help them to enter kindergarten on an even playing field. Classrooms must meet specific space, safety and lighting standards, she said.

Grant recipients must guarantee a minimum of 10 hours per week for students and must ensure that child care providers, child development services, Head Start, Franklin County Children’s Task Force and other child service providers are involved.

Jaci Holmes, the federal-state legislative liaison for the Maine Department of Education, is part of the team of state and local administrators applying for federal funds. Monies will go to parts of the state that need it most, she said Tuesday.

Prekindergarten for school districts is not new, she said.

“Over the past 36 years, we have approved 206 classrooms,” she said. “Of the 184 School Administrative Units with kindergarten programs, 118 of those have pre-k programs.”

One third of those programs, she said, have partnered with an established early childhood program in their community, including Head Start and private day care programs. Stratton, Livermore, Jay, Farmington, Wilton and New Sharon all have pre-kindergarten classrooms.

Holmes said school districts will receive the same types of financial assistance as children in grades kindergarten to 12. The district’s administrators are responsible for ensuring students and teachers are held to the same high standards as other students in the school district. The state’s Essential Programs and Services funding formula will reimburse the district for tuition costs as they do for all Maine students, she said.