Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins is developing a plan to offer free quality preschool to hundreds of students in low-income neighborhoods for the next school year.
- Hillsborough Superintendent developing plan for free quality preschool
- District scouting schools with extra classrooms for program
- Program to prepare kids for academics, instruction, socialization
“With a Title 1 school, any student in that school would be eligible,” Eakins said. “So, families that reside in those particular attendance zones then become eligible.”
Eakins also wants the students to attend the same school for both preschool and kindergarten. The district is currently scouting elementary schools with extra classrooms that can accommodate 3 and 4-year-old students.
“We see that when a student enters kindergarten ready to learn and on track, we can take them to great heights,” said Eakins. “But when they come in not prepared for school at age 5, they struggle. We see that if there’s a way to level the playing field for them, the way to do that is to address their needs early on.”
Parent Desiree Wallace, who has a child attending Shaw Elementary, said there are no options for her younger children to attend preschool and would take advantage of the program.
“I actually have a two-year-old and a three-year-old that I’m trying to get into school right now and I really believe the program would be very beneficial,” she said. “So, I’m looking forward to learning more about the program.”
Eakins said about half of the kindergarten students district wide are not ready and that number jumps to more than 70 percent in low income neighborhoods. The superintendent hopes the free preschool plan will turn that around.
“At ages three and four to really get them used to quality academics and instruction and socialization and all those things to occur for them,” he said. “It’s going to set them up for success entering kindergarten.”
Eakins said they hope to enroll up to 400 students when the program begins for the 2018-2019 school year.