Grant to help BCSC expand On My Way Pre-K sites

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. will expand the number of available prekindergarten sites this fall under a state-subsidized program targeted to low-income families.

The Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has awarded $71,250 in early education capacity-building grant money to the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation. The independent foundation privately funds a variety of educational services in Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. designed to enrich students’ educational experience.

BCSC will use the grant funding to double the number of prekindergarten sites offered through the On My Way Pre-K program through the school corporation from two to four, said Gina Pleak, BCSC director of title services.

In addition to the two BCSC sites, On My Way Pre-K funds the cost of tuition for students at 10 designated child care provider sites in Bartholomew County.

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Currently, there is one pre-K classroom at Taylorsville Elementary School and three at the Busy Bees Academy at the R.L. Johnson Early Education Center, both of which offer programming through On My Way Pre-K.

The expansion to add Columbus Signature Academy — Fodrea campus and Parkside Elementary School means that recipients of the program may attend those schools, the Busy Bees Academy or Taylorsville Elementary School starting in the fall, Pleak said.

The state grants totaling more than $1.4 million were part of funding awarded to 12 applicants representing 29 prekindergarten programs within 12 counties, according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

“Increasing the number of high-quality early education programs in counties across the state is an intentional priority for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration,” said Jennifer Walthall, secretary with the state agency. “Building capacity provides more options for Hoosier parents who want their child to have a competitive start to their education.”

Pleak said BCSC also intends to use the grant money for professional development for staff, classroom materials, curriculum, family engagement and marketing. The district received a 5 percent match toward the grant from the school foundation.

Eligible students

There are about 1,100 4-year-olds in Bartholomew County with the school corporation having the ability to serve about 20 percent of them, Pleak said. BCSC currently has 46 students using On My Way Pre-K vouchers that allow them to attend classes for free, she said.

There were 100 spots made available in Bartholomew County for the 2018-19 school year through On My Way Pre-K.

Prekindergarten teachers already located at CSA Fodrea and Parkside will oversee the classrooms designated for On My Way Pre-K recipients, said Shane Yates, BCSC prekindergarten director. BCSC will continue to operate the expanded pre-K sites after the one-year grant expires, Yates said.

The district typically charges families $160 a week in tuition for prekindergarten, while a modified rate of $60 is available for families who meet free/reduced lunch program income guidelines.

“This is a huge win for our community,” Yates said.

CSA Fodrea and Parkside recently received Paths to Quality Level 3 status, which is required for an On My Way Pre-K provider to accept vouchers.

Paths to Quality is a national program being used in Indiana as a rating system for the quality of child care, preschool and school-age programs. Level 3 or 4 are considered to be high-quality early learning programs, Pleak said.

BCSC will also pursue a Paths to Quality Level 2 status designation for Clifty Creek and Southside elementary schools, which also offer prekindergarten within the district, according to Pleak.

Skill-based education

Pleak said prekindergarten provides children with necessary kindergarten skills such as physical well-being and motor development, social, emotional and language development, increased knowledge and vocabulary and developing positive associations with learning.

“Evidence shows if children enter kindergarten unprepared, they will typically be reading below grade level when they enter first grade and will have a difficult time catching up,” she said.

Under the program, families are required to meet guidelines mandated by the state requiring parents or guardians to be employed or in school. A family’s income must fall within federal poverty guidelines to qualify.

However, Pleak said the requirements have created barriers for some families with the most need from qualifying.

“We would like for the state to listen to the feedback from the counties receiving the funding and make changes to some of the requirements to allow for more families with need to take advantage of this great opportunity for high-quality early learning,” Pleak said. “If adjustments are made and barriers are removed, our community will greatly benefit.”

The state does not anticipate a change in the total number of openings being made available to Bartholomew County for the fall, said Jim Gavin, spokesman for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. That is determined based on capacity and the county’s ability to provide matching funds, he said.

Applications for the On My Way Pre-K program for the 2019-20 school year should be available sometime in the late spring, Gavin said.

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The On My Way Pre-K program, which was created to help low-income families find early education opportunities for their children, funds the cost of tuition for preschoolers at designated providers. Bartholomew County was among 15 counties named in June 2017 to receive state funding through the program.

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Caregivers seeking to enroll their children in a prekindergarten program can find providers by visiting the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration website at in.gov/fssa/childcarefinder/.

Individuals who are interested in signing up their child through the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. for the 2019-20 school year can contact the Busy Bees Academy, 1209 Sycamore St., by calling 812-376-4569.

Applications are also available on the BCSC website at www.bcsc.k12.in.us with spots filled on a first come, first served basis.

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To learn more about prekindergarten in the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., call the Busy Bees Academy at 812-376-4569.

Information about On My Way Pre-K can be found by visiting in.gov/fssa/carefinder/4932.htm.

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