Beverly Hills families have a district-run preschool option at two elementary campuses after Beverly Hills Unified School District launched the program in early October.

The preschool at Hawthorne and Horace Mann elementary schools is the first program to go live under a three-year Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between BHUSD and the Beverly Hills City Council. The city finalized the deal in May, committing nearly $39 million to the district over three years.

Beverly Hills Councilmember Sharona Nazarian announced the launch on X on Monday, Oct. 5. The program had previously been run by the city.

Under the JPA, BHUSD took over the state-licensed preschool along with afternoon programming at district elementary schools and city-run camps at district facilities, effective fall 2026. The city's announcement in May broke down the funding: $13.75 million for fiscal year 2026–27, $13 million for 2027–28 and $12.25 million for 2028–29.

The preschool held open houses at both campuses in late September, giving families a chance to meet educators and tour the classrooms.

The district has bigger plans. On Sept. 8, the Board of Education voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution directing staff to develop a phased plan to expand the preschool into a comprehensive early childhood center, the Beverly Hills Standard reported. Student board member Michelle Schmidt also voted yes. The expansion would serve children as young as newborns and add caregiver classes such as parent-and-me and grandparent-and-me sessions.

"I think the next step is for us to invest and establish a vision for a comprehensive early childhood center … I hope that this will develop into a flourishing program where the community can bring their children to us from day one as babies," Board President Judy Manouchehri said at the Sept. 8 meeting, as reported by the Beverly Hills Courier.

As of that September meeting, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dustin Seemann said the district had submitted licensing documentation to the state and was awaiting license numbers for both preschool sites. No public update on the licensing status has been released since.

Enrollment figures, capacity and tuition details for the preschool have not been publicly disclosed. Families seeking information can contact BHUSD.