St. Theodore Catholic School’s pre-kindergarten program is canceled until further notice, according to Principal Sue Amundson.

There were 16 children signed up for the program that was aimed at helping 4- and 5-year-olds get ready for kindergarten.

Amundson said the program will not open this fall because it doesn’t have a license from the Minnesota Department of Human Services yet. She said she was told by someone in the state office that there were 19 other preschool applications that didn’t get approved either, and they’re working on trying to get the applications through.

“They’ve given no tentative date,” Amundson said. “For me there’s nothing else I could have changed.”

Amundson said the program will start later this year as soon as the license is approved. She said some of the families told her they will wait until the program opens and enroll their child again.

“I’ve been in constant contact with the families,” Amundson said.

The idea for having some sort of preschool in the Catholic school has been in the works since the beginning of the year. The school currently teaches kindergarten through sixth-grade and has no preschool program. The new program was scheduled to be three hours a day from 8:15 to 11:15 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Families do not have to be Catholic to enroll their child. Applications were accepted through April 19. Once a license is received, the program can start under the direction of a licensed preschool educator. The program costs $180 per month per child. For more information on the program, people can call the school at 373-9657.