West Iron County Schools Open Early Childhood Registration for 2026-27 School Year

West Iron County Schools opened registration for its 2026-27 early childhood programs on Monday, March 9, giving Iron River-area families their first opportunity to enroll young children in either the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP)/Pre-Kindergarten or the district's Tot-Lot program, both housed at the Bates School.

The Tot-Lot program is designed for 3-year-olds and meets once a week on Fridays for two-hour sessions. The program runs across three separate 10-week sessions, with tuition set at $75 per session. As of this week, spots remain open. Parents interested in enrolling can call Denise Maloney, the district's early childhood teacher, at 906-308-5015 or reach her by email at dmaloney@westiron.org.

The district describes Tot-Lot as "a fabulous opportunity to introduce your child to pre-school and give them an opportunity to socialize with other children his/her age and to gain some independence." The structure, one Friday session per week spread across three sequential 10-week terms, gives families a manageable entry point into formal schooling before kindergarten.

The GSRP/Pre-Kindergarten program is also accepting registrations for the coming school year. Specific eligibility requirements, scheduling, and any tuition details for GSRP were not immediately available from district materials; Maloney's office is the direct point of contact for those questions as well.

Both programs are located at the Bates School. The West Iron County Schools district office can also be reached at 906-265-6141, and the Dickinson-Iron ISD, which partners on early childhood programming in the region, can be contacted at 906-779-2695.