Preschool education plays an essential role in Boone County Schools – and those on the inside say funding for such should be prioritized.
“I would appreciate if, at some point, that our board reaffirms our commitment to preschool education,” Division 3 Board Member and Vice Chairperson Jesse Parks said. “I would like to know that we all agree that it’s important, deserves our attention and that we all understand it’s a vital part of our school district.”
Preschool education is a gateway to Boone County Schools, Division 1 Board Member Carolyn Hankins Wolfe said.
“And it needs to be treated that way,” Wolfe said. “I think our legislative committee needs to meet at some point this year and that should be a top priority.”
The school district offers half-day preschool classes Monday through Thursday, with morning sessions slated from 9 a.m. to noon and afternoon periods from noon to 3 p.m., according to the Boone County Schools Preschool Program website.
There are about 500 students in the Boone County Schools Preschool program by the end of each school year and preschool classrooms are housed in the elementary school buildings. In consideration of space, some classrooms have been combined.
- Mann and New Haven classrooms are housed at New Haven Elementary.
- Longbranch and Stephens classrooms are housed at Stephens Elementary.
- Kelly and Burlington classrooms are housed at Burlington Elementary.
- Ockerman Elementary and Erpenbeck Elementary are housed at Erpenbeck Elementary.
“I want us back in a preschool education academic center,” Division 5 Board Member and Chairperson Karen Byrd said. “I want it out of the buildings. I want it concentrated back into a designated spot, so that the great work that was begun in that environment can continue.”
It is critical that by the time a child reaches kindergarten, the student is prepared for school, Byrd said.
“It used to not be that way,” Byrd said. “You used to go to kindergarten to get ready for school. That’s not the way it works anymore, because our world just moves too fast. My support for that has not wavered.”