Sarasota County Schools will soon be accepting school preference applications for its Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. During VPK School Preference beginning on Monday, February 2, parents/guardians can select the VPK school site that best meets their child’s needs. VPK is an optional state program funded by the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning. Sarasota County Schools offers its own VPK program free of charge to families as either a 540-instructional hour school year program – 8:30 to 11:30 AM daily, with Extended Day options available from 11:30 AM until the end of the school day – or a 300-instructional hour summer program. Families may choose between enrollment in either program – though only one may be selected – for a given school year. Please contact the school district’s Office of Early Learning at (941) 927-9000 ext. 31267 or VPK@sarasotacountyschools.net with any questions, or visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/page/prek-program.