Hoover schools seek grant money to expand pre-K program

Hoover school officials say their new pilot pre-kindergarten program at five elementary schools is going well, and they plan to seek grants to add more pre-K classes at three of those schools and two other schools.

For the current school year, Hoover received $600,000 in grants to add one pre-K classroom for 18 students at Green Valley, Greystone, Gwin, Rocky Ridge and South Shades Crest elementary schools — for a total of five pre-K classrooms serving 90 students.

Each school received $120,000 from the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education to cover the cost of a lead teacher, auxiliary teacher, tables, cubby hole shelves, curriculum, field trips and parental engagement activities.

Demand for the first-year programs was strong. Parents of 386 children expressed interest, but there was only room for 90 students. Students were selected in a random drawing.

For the second year, the district is applying for new $120,000 grants to add two more pre-K classrooms at South Shades Crest and one additional pre-K classroom at both Green Valley and Greystone elementary schools, Assistant Superintendent Tera Simmons said.

School officials also are seeking $120,000 grants to add a pre-K classroom at Shades Mountain and Trace Crossings elementary schools, Simmons said. They may not find out if Hoover received the new grants until early May, she said.

The three other elementary schools — Bluff Park, Deer Valley and Riverchase — would like to add a pre-K classroom also, but there is not enough room on their campuses to do so, she said.

Hoover officials also are trying to get $75,000 in second-year grant money for each of the initial pre-K classrooms, Simmons said.

The pre-K program was free the first year, but Hoover plans to charge tuition for the second year, as school officials indicated they would from the beginning. The tuition amount will be on a sliding fee scale set up by the state’s Office of School Readiness and will be based on household income and family size, Simmons said.

Hoover officials hope that state grants and tuition will cover almost all costs related to the program next year. The only expense the school district might incur is fencing for a pre-K playground at Shades Mountain Elementary, if that school receives a grant, Simmons said. That fencing likely would cost about $5,000, she said. Fencing for the first-year pre-K classroom playgrounds cost the district $20,815, she said.

Feedback about the pre-K program has been very positive so far, Simmons said.

South Shades Crest Elementary Principal Kara Scholl on Tuesday night invited Hoover school board members to tour a pre-K classroom.

“It is such a happy, exciting place,” Scholl said. “To see the growth of these children from the beginning of school until now, they’re going to be so ready for kindergarten. It’s amazing what they’re doing in there.”

Superintendent Kathy Murphy said school officials are tracking the pre-K students’ progress and will continue to do so as they move forward. They are looking for evidence to see that the program is making a difference, she said.

Hoover schools began accepting applications for the second year of the pre-K program today (Wednesday, Jan. 15) and will continue to do so through March 31, Simmons said. A random drawing will be held at the Farr Administration Building on April 3 to select the 90 students, she said.

If additional grants are received to expand the program, there will be another registration period and a second random drawing, she said.

For more information and links to register, visit here.

MENTAL HEALTH

Murphy also on Tuesday night updated the Hoover school board about efforts under way to bolster mental health services for students. She is serving on a state mental health task force that soon will be making recommendations to the state Legislature, she said.

The task force plans to ask the Legislature to provide funding so that every school district can hire an mental health services coordinator and a mental health specialist, Murphy said.

The Hoover school district recently hired a mental health specialist for this school year, but it’s really more work than one person can do, Murphy said.

One out of every five school-age children in Alabama has a mental health issue, and one out of every 20 school-age children has a profound or serious mental health issue, she said.

“We need help. We need resources. We need people,” Murphy said. “We need financing in order to get this done well and done right.”

The Hoover school district also has started accepting requests from parents who want their children to be able to attend a school outside of their school attendance zone. Strict guidelines are in place regarding transfer criteria, and a federal judge overseeing a decades-old school desegregation case is monitoring compliance with those guidelines. The transfer application deadline is April 15.

School officials also announced the Hoover school board will hold a retreat at the Hoover Lake House at 300 Municipal Lane this Friday, Jan. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to discuss issues such as capital projects, mental health, a performing arts center and a new student mentoring program.

The school district also is holding a community meeting at the Riverchase Landing apartment complex clubhouse at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21 to discuss a variety of school district initiatives.