This year marks the 25th anniversary of the State’s effort in preparing children for success in Kindergarten and later school years through its Pre-K Program, a state lottery-funded educational program for all age eligible four-year-old children in Georgia. The Muscogee County School District is encouraging parents to take advantage of this resource of high-quality early learning. Parents interested in the District’s Pre-K program can apply online and at select locations February 26-March 9, 2018.
 
Children four years of age on or before September 1, 2018 are considered eligible for application. Online applications will open February 26 on the District’s website: http://muscogee.k12.ga.us. Parents can also access the application at the District’s Public Education Center and Early Success Centers: Double Churches Elementary, Eagle Ridge Academy, Forrest Road Elementary, Fox Elementary, Lonnie Jackson Academy, Mathews Elementary, Rigdon Road Elementary, and South Columbus Elementary.  Acceptance into the program is based on available funding and space.
 
All applications submitted by March 9 will be entered into a lottery drawing with equal chances of random selection for a Pre-K seat, regardless of the application date.  Parents will then be notified, by mail, of acceptance or waiting list status by March 16, and must accept their students’ assignment no later than March 23, 2018 to be officially entered into the program.  Priority will be given to students living in the assigned school attendance zone and applications submitted during the application period.
 
The District, in alignment with the State’s effort to increase academic success measures, is a proponent of high-quality early education. We have observed significant positive impacts on our children’s learning capacities, social development, and school readiness when they participate in Pre-K programs. According to a longitudinal study, evaluating short-term and long-term learning outcomes of children who attended Georgia’s Pre-K from 2013-2018, researchers found that children who attended Georgia Pre-K showed more significant growth on most measures of learning versus those who did not attend Pre-K.
 
The study, conducted by national experts at the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, indicated that children who attended Georgia’s Pre-K made significant gains in the areas of language/literacy skills, math skills, self-knowledge, and social skills. Moreover, children who attended public-school settings in Pre-K exhibited greater growth on some language and literacy skills compared to children who attended private settings; language and literacy scores were lower at entry into Pre-K for children who attended public-school settings, but generally were similar to those who attended private settings by the end of kindergarten.
 
Parents who would like more details about the Pre-K program and the application process can gain further insight during the following information sessions:
 
·         Wednesday, February 21; 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Rigdon Road Elementary

·         Thursday, February 22; 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Lonnie Jackson Academy

·         Tuesday, February 27; 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Double Churches Elementary

Tours of each listed facility will follow each of the informational sessions. Parents should choose the date and location most convenient to them as each session will present the same information. For more information about the District’s Pre-K services, please contact the office of Early Success Centers at 706-748-2118 or 706-748-2139.