Sixty-five students have been accepted into the On My Way Pre-K program in Bartholomew County, which started with 100 spots available for state-subsidized preschool students for the 2018-19 school year.
Although school starts Wednesday in Bartholomew County, applications are still being accepted for the remaining 35 prekindergarten openings, said Erica Woodward, On My Way Pre-K project manager for Bartholomew, Harrison, Floyd and Jackson counties.
The program provides vouchers to qualifying families so they can send their children to classes at one of nine providers in Bartholomew County at no cost.
“It’s a win-win for the child and the family,” Woodward said.
On My Way Pre-K awards grants to 4-year-olds from low-income families so they may have access to a high-quality prekindergarten program the year before they begin kindergarten.
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 County was among 15 counties named last summer to receive state funding for the program, which is designed to expand options for families that would otherwise struggle to pay for prekindergarten on their own.
The state has not determined when applications for this year’s On My Way Pre-K program will be cut off, said Marni Lemons, spokeswoman for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, which oversees the program.
Out of the 65 spots that have been filled as of Monday, 40 will be attending classes offered through the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., said Shane Yates, BCSC prekindergarten director.
The district provides prekindergarten at the Busy Bees Academy in Columbus and Taylorsville Elementary School.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our families who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity,” Yates said.
Yates said being in prekindergarten allows children to develop social, emotional and academic skills, adding that such individuals have also tested higher on the I-STEP exam.
“It’s a head start on their education as a whole,” Yates said.
The district typically charges families $160 a week in tuition for prekindargarten, while a modified rate of $60 per week is available for families who meet free/reduced lunch program income guidelines.
Classes are held for 36 weeks, following the regular school year calendar.
Yates said 17 families who already participated in prekindergarten services were able to benefit from the On My Way Pre-K program. Families accepted into the program can choose which of the two providers in BCSC they want to send their child to, he said.
The Columbus-based school district will provide free transportation if families choose to send their child to the Busy Bees Academy, Yates said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How to apply” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Online applications are being accepted for the On My Way Pre-K program at onmywayprek.org.
Paper applications for On My Way Pre-K can also be filled out at the nine providers in Bartholomew County:
- Busy Bees Academy, R.L. Johnson Early Education Center, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., 1209 Sycamore St., Columbus.
- Children Inc., 715 McClure Road, Columbus.
- First Presbyterian Preschool, 512 Seventh St., Columbus.
- KinderCare, 3625 Central Ave., Columbus.
- Nana’s Little Angels, 2104 Seventh St., Columbus.
- Learn by Heart, 18107 E. County Road 350S, Grammer
- Deb’s Day Care and Preschool, 5403 W. Quan Wae Drive, Columbus.
- Taylorsville Elementary School, 9711 Walnut St., Taylorsville
- Play & Learn Child Care, 1025 River Road, Columbus.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
