The number of at-risk 4-year-olds in Charlottesville and Albemarle County who have access to high-quality preschool programs is growing. In part, increased support for local early childhood programs and new collaboration among providers is allowing more families to be served. Additionally, a new study has revised the service gap projections to show that the number […]
Tag: Pre-K
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Albemarle pre-K programs highlight successes, challenges
Albemarle County pre-K programs are enjoying robust student success rates, but might soon have an issue finding enough space for their students, county schools staff reported Thursday. A presentation to the School Board by county schools, Bright Stars, Title I and Head Start staff showed the programs serve more than 350 students in 12 schools […]
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Localities receive grant for 25 more pre-K seats
Charlottesville and Albemarle County will be able to place 25 additional 4-year-olds in preschool programs this month thanks to $180,000 in grants from the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The children will be placed either in a program run by the Jefferson Area Board for Aging or by Foundations Childhood Development Center, said Erika Viccellio, executive […]
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Albemarle leaders seek details on Pre-K expansion
In Albemarle, both the Board of Supervisors and School Board agree that expanding Bright Stars—the County’s pre-k program for at-risk youth—can pay positive dividends; the question is which body will take the first step. “The real issue here is a question about whose job it is,” Albemarle School Board Chair Steve Koleszar told the Board […]
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Albemarle candidates outline positions on Pre-K
In advance of Election Day on November 5, Charlottesville Tomorrow has mailed out in-depth nonpartisan voter guides, featuring exclusive one-on-one interviews with all the candidates for Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council. In advance of the election, we will also feature their responses to important questions about their qualifications, priorities, and key […]
Posted inHow we learn
Virginia misses preschool funding opportunity
By Robert Pianta and Nicole Dooley This month, we learned that Virginia decided not to apply for the latest round of the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grants. A successful application would have meant up to $45 million to fund more effective early-education programs for Virginia’s youngest citizens. Virginia’s decision to not […]
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Albemarle weighs pre-k expansion
Kelly Shifflett tears up when she talks about turning needy families away from Bright Stars, Albemarle County’s preschool program for at-risk youth. And in recent years, the number of those calls the Bright Stars Program Coordinator has had to make has only increased, rising from 79 children on the waitlist to 86 in the last […]
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Future preschool expansion under review & other school news
At last week’s joint Albemarle Board of Supervisors and School Board meeting, school and social services staff proposed a new $1.8 million preschool program that could serve about 130 kids in the northern urban area. School Board member Diantha McKeel said that the program, if adopted, could look different from the proposal, but that the […]
