Peoria Unified School District offers two distinctive preschool programs for your child. 

Early Childhood Center for Excellence in Learning (ECCEL)

The ECCEL Preschool Program provides flexible programming that meets the needs of the whole child – socially, academically, and emotionally – to prepare them to enter kindergarten ready to learn. We believe that children need time to be children and learn best through discovery and play in a language and literacy based environment that builds skills and challenges thinking. Through a variety of preschool classrooms on elementary school campuses, typically developing and developmentally delayed three- and four-year-olds have their individual needs met through interaction with general education teachers, special education teachers and therapists.

Child Oriented Occupational Program (COOP)

COOP (Child Oriented Occupational Program) classes are full-day, tuition-based programs offered at several district high schools. These programs are for four-year-olds and are staffed by high school students who have taken Child Development classes and are currently enrolled in COOP classes. These students are interested in a career working with young children. High school students plan the lessons under the guidance of the COOP director (a certified teacher) and the morning and afternoon COOP coordinators. DES benefits are accepted in some programs.