July 12, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
Any parent interested in applying for the Pre K program for their child may pick up an application at the DeKalb County Board of Education central office (Ernest Ray Education Center) downtown.
Children need to be 4 years old on or before August 15 to qualify
Parents/Guardians should bring the following items for their child:
*Original Birth Certificate
*Current Physical Examination
*Current Certification of Immunization
*Proof of Income for all Household Members
*Proof of Residency
The DeKalb County School System has been awarded a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education to fund five voluntary Pre-K classes to serve up to 100 students for another year.
“We are excited to receive this news”, said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps. “With the funding, the school system will continue to offer four Pre-K classes at Smithville Elementary and one class at DeKalb West School,” he said.
Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn announced in May that 18,560 students in 928 classrooms across Tennessee will benefit from the Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) program in the 2019-20 school year. 138 districts applied for and received VPK funding through the competitive grant designed to serve 4-year-old students who are at-risk and students in high-priority communities. Sixty-eight of these 138 districts are rural.