ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
Unified School District 410 is gearing up for its first pre-school program for 4-year-olds.
Superintendent Gordon Mohn said the program is actually a collaborative effort between the district and three other entities: McPherson-Marion County Head Start, Marion County Special Education Cooperative and Prairie View Inc.
Mohn said the district has sent a mailing to parents with 4-year-old children to make them aware of the program and invite them to an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7, in the newly renovated pre-school room at Hillsboro Elementary School.
The pre-school initiative gained steam when the district received a grant through the state’s new “4-Year-Old At-Risk” program. The grant provides the district with the same funding for a 4-year-old that it receives for a kindergartener.
Also driving the initiative was a sense that a need existed in Hillsboro for more pre-school openings, Mohn said.
The Hillsboro area is presently served by Lucky Ducks, a private pre-school and daycare program.
“There’s a little encouragement from the state because they’ve created the 4-Year-Old At-Risk program,” Mohn said. “But we know the better prepared kids are for school, the more likely they are to be successful. We want to provide a quality option.”
The district’s pre-school program is intended to help families who cannot afford a private program, according to Mohn.
At the same time, the grant likely will make it possible to include at least a few “peer” students, too-children who do not qualify under the criteria required by Head Start, MCSEC or the state program. (See sidebar).
“We don’t charge anyone to go,” Mohn said. “We can fund a few peers with the money for the at-risk kids, and we can fund a teacher. The only charge is for meals.”
The number of “peers” accepted into the program depends on the number of children who qualify through the other entities.
The district is projecting up to 34 students: 15 through Head Start; six through MCSEC; 10 through the 4-Year-Old At-Risk program; and three peers.
If the first three entities do not reach their respective quotas, which Mohn anticipates, additional peers will be added to the program.
“Our goal is to have a minimum of six students from the peer group,” he said.
The 34 students will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Because the pre-school is following the more demanding Head Start guidelines, all students will be bused between home and school and all will be served two meals.
The morning group will receive a breakfast and a lunch while the afternoon group will receive a lunch and a snack.
“Our free-and-reduced-lunch application applies, so if you qualify for free or reduced lunches, you get them,” Mohn said. “If you don’t, you pay.”
Mohn said the intent is to mix the children within the program in a way that does not label them according to the criteria by which they were accepted.
“When we look at it, we don’t want to be able to say, ‘Well, there’s a Head Start kid, there’s a 4-Year-Old At-Risk kid, here’s a regular kid,” Mohn said. “We want it to be seamless.
“Our hope is to mix kids so that when we have a preschool, we’re not only serving kids who might be mentally delayed or financially disadvantaged. We’ll get a mix of kids. “
Each of the sponsoring entities will participate in the program operation. Head Start will contribute a teacher and a paraprofessional, USD 410 a teacher, MCSEC a paraprofessional, and Prairie View will serve some of the children in the program as well as train staff to teach in a “conscious discipline” style, which emphasizes interaction.
Julia Hurd, associated with Head Start, will teach the morning session. Lesli Berry, who also works halftime with the district’s Parents As Teachers program, will teach the afternoon session.
The pre-school will be located in the former HES art room during this first year.
“We’re not sure how long-term it is,” Mohn said. “If we decide we’re able to build here, we might include an early-childhood classroom. If a church wants to do it, it can have it.
“We just want to set up a model of doing it,” he added. “We don’t really care if it’s here or somewhere else.”
Pre-school classes will begin Aug. 28. Mohn hopes to have the enrollment established by at least Sept. 20, which is the state’s reporting date.
For more information about the program, call 947-3981.
Who qualifies for USD 410 pre-school?
A child is eligible for Hillsboro Elementary Pre-School through one of the following:
— Head Start. Selection for the program is based on income guidelines established by the federal government.
— Marion County Special Education Cooperative. Students must have an individualized education plan developed through the MCSEC program.
— 4-Year-Old At-Risk program. Families of students must meet one of these criteria: poverty; single-parent families; referrals from Social and Rehabilitative Services; teen parents; parents who lack a high school degree or GED; children qualifying for migrant status; limited English proficiency; developmentally or academically delayed.
— Peers. Must meet the age requirements (4 years old on or before Aug. 31, or 3-year-olds who are eligible for Head Start or being served by the Marion County Special Education Cooperative) and be a resident of USD 410.
