More than 70 applications have been received for 100 spots this fall in a state-subsidized prekindergarten program targeted to low-income Bartholomew County families.
Enrollment for the On My Way Pre-K program opened March 1, said Erica Woodward, program manager for Bartholomew, Harrison, Floyd and Jackson counties. Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for the program, which funds the tuition cost for children at one of eight designated providers in Bartholomew County.
“We’re doing pretty well in Bartholomew,” said Marni Lemons, spokeswoman for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, which oversees On My Way Pre-K.
Lemons said she is confident all 100 spots being offered for the fall in Bartholomew County will be filled. There is no cutoff date for applications to be submitted.
Intake specialists have not yet started meeting with families who have applied, although that is expected to occur in the next few weeks, Woodward said.
“We encourage families to apply as soon as possible,” Woodward said.
Bartholomew County was among 15 counties named last June to receive state funding for the program designed to expand options for families that would otherwise struggle to pay for prekindergarten on their own. The program began locally in January with 50 open spots, but only 33 students met the qualifications and were approved, Woodward said.
To qualify, a child must be 4 years old by Aug. 1, and a family’s income must fall within federal poverty guidelines. Parents or guardians must also be employed or in school, according to rules and regulations mandated by the state.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., one of the eight approved providers, offers its prekindergarten program at Busy Bees Academy and Taylorsville Elementary School. Families who select BCSC as their provider receive transportation services as part of their enrollment.
Letters have been mailed to 200 families who pay a reduced rate, encouraging them to apply for the On My Way Pre-K program, said Shane Yates, BCSC prekindergarten director. Sixty of those families have submitted applications so far, Yates said.
Yates said the benefits of prekindergarten include laying the foundation for students to develop social, emotional and academic skills.
“We want to impact as many students as we can,” he said.
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Paper applications for On My Way Pre-K will be accepted at eight providers in Bartholomew County:
- Busy Bees Academy, R.L. Johnson Early Education Center, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., 1209 Sycamore St.
- Children Inc., 715 McClure Road
- First Presbyterian Preschool, 512 Seventh St.
- KinderCare, 3625 Central Ave.
- Nana’s Little Angels, 2104 Seventh St.
- Learn by Heart, 18107 E. County Road 350S, Grammer
- Deb’s Day Care and Preschool, 5403 W. Quan Wae Drive
- Taylorsville Elementary School, 9711 Walnut St., Taylorsville
Online applications can also be filed at onmywayprek.org.
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