By Janine Davis Record Staff Writer The Wright City R-II School District is wasting no time in offering prekindergarten classes starting this fall on an expedited schedule. Officials report interest is strong in the new program. As the district proceeds with plans to construct a new building to be located between the district’s central office and Open Hearts United Methodist Church on Bell Road that will be ready next year, it is getting started early with a modified plan that will launch the program this fall at Wright City West Elementary School. District officials said the program enrolled 26 students in two days. “We’ve staffed up, are moving folks around to accommodate the expansion, and have an architect working on the new building drawings,” R-II District Superintendent Dr. Chris Gaines told the school board during its last regular meeting on June 19. “Hopefully in July, we’ll be approving specs so we can go to bid (for construction).” When it is completed next year, the Pre-K building will be able to accommodate about 100 3-and 4-year-old students, leveraging state funds from Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) to cover about 80 percent of the cost of building construction and a portion of operational expenses. The new building will house preschool, early childhood special education and Parents as Teachers programs. The estimated cost of the facility is $900,000. The expedited plan to begin offering instruction this fall for up to 80 students by the end of the school year is a requirement in maximizing state funding for the new facility. The tuition is free this year because the cost is fully reimbursed by ECSE, but may become tuition-based for some students in the future officials said. The district is immediately hiring two early childhood special education teachers and two early childhood special education aides for the new program. The combined cost for two teachers and two aides will be about $163,420, plus supplies, which will be reimbursed 100 percent by the state in the 2015-2016 school year. In January the school board unanimously approved the building of a preschool, calling the project “urgent” in providing area children with the early social and emotional development and subject preparatory skills necessary to successfully navigate school.
R-II district pleased with early Pre-K enrollment
