What Parents Want to Know about Early Learning in Vigo County School Corporation

Rachael | March 21, 2022 | Education, Featured | No Comments

In 2021, Vigo County School Corporation opened an Early Learning Center at Deming Elementary!

In 2022 and 2023, Deming Early Learning Center will have kindergarten, a transitional kindergarten class (read on for details!), pre-k, and daycare for infants and older. Infants and toddlers can also attend daycare at Little Braves. Pre-k students can attend a full day program at Deming, Fuqua, and Vikes and Tykes. A half day pre-k program is offered at Terre Town and Farrington Grove.

Early Learning in Vigo County School Corporation

Thank you to Early Childhood Administrator Ashley Bennett for sharing answers to these frequently asked questions!

Program Location

Daycare is offered for ages 0-3 at Little Braves and Deming.

New in 2022: Half day pre-k will only be offered at Terre Town and Farrington Grove.

New in 2022: Full day pre-k is currently offered at Deming, Fuqua, and Vikes and Tykes.

Program Choice:

New in 2022: Program choice will no longer be determined by geography. Parents can choose which program(s) they’d like their children to join.

Please enroll online via the “New Families” section of the school corporation website.

Full Day Pre-K

Full day Pre-K follows the Vigo County School Corporation calendar. Class starts at 8 a.m. and students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. The corporation is unable to provide transportation for Pre-K students.

Full day Pre-K is available for a rate of $21 per day.

Scholarships are available for students who live in a Title I district and through On My Way Pre-K and CCDF.

Title I Districts: Benjamin Franklin, Davis Park, DeVaney, Farrington Grove, Fuqua, Hoosier Prairie, Meadows, Ouabache, Sugar Creek Consolidated, Sugar Grove, Terre Town

Half Day Pre-K

Half day Pre-K is for students who are 4 by August 1. In the 2022-23 school year, the Vigo County School Corporation will offer half day Pre-K at Terre Town and Farrington Grove.

Half day Pre-K follows the Vigo County School Corporation calendar. The morning session runs 8:15-10:50, and the afternoon session runs 12:10-2:45. We are unable to provide transportation for Pre-K students.

Half day Pre-K is available for a rate of $10.50 per day.

Scholarships are available for students who live in a Title I district and through On My Way Pre-K and CCDF.

Title I Districts: Benjamin Franklin, Davis Park, DeVaney, Farrington Grove, Fuqua, Hoosier Prairie, Meadows, Ouabache, Sugar Creek Consolidated, Sugar Grove, Terre Town

Transportation:

Unfortunately, transportation is an issue for Pre-K. Four-year-old students must ride in a bus with harnesses, and that’s not currently an option.

Kindergarten students (in both the traditional and transitional programs) who live near Deming will have bussing options.

Transitional Kindergarten:

This program is described as an “introduction to kindergarten standards in a play-based approach.” Expect transitional kindergarten to be kindergarten taught in a pre-k format. Children will enjoy lots of exploration, social and emotional learning, and hands-on play.

New in 2022: Students can now enroll in the transitional kindergarten by referral only. Pre-k students in both VCSC pre-k programs and private preschools will be evaluated to see if they would benefit from the transitional kindergarten program that offers additional accommodations and smaller class size. This referral considers factors such as student age, teacher comments, and social/emotional kindergarten readiness. Right now, it sounds as though there will be 4 transitional kindergarten classrooms with room for 15 students in each class.

Naptime:

Naptime will be offered for daycare and pre-k. If a pre-k student has outgrown naptime, they will be offered quiet time activities. Cots are spaced to allow for adequate social distancing during rest time.

Teacher to Student Ratio:

For babies, expect one teacher for every four babies. For toddlers and two-year-olds, one teacher for every five children. 3-year-olds have a ratio of 1 to 10. Pre-k is 1 to 12. Kindergarten classes will be small but the exact size is to be determined. An expectation of a cap of 20 students would be fair and reasonable.

Enrollment:

Please enroll online via the “New Families” section of the school corporation website, and email ashley.bennett@vigoschools.org for more information!

Tuition and Fees:

New in 2022: The early learning and pre-k programs will soon be financially self-sufficient. They will be funded by CCDF (for the daycare programs), OMW pre-k, Title 1 scholarships for those living in a Title 1 district, and paid tuition.

Many children will be able to attend these programs with no out-of-pocket expenses for their families!

Personal Feedback:

Our older girls participated in (and adored) the previous Vigo County School Corporation pre-k program. Although there will be differences between the old program and the new Deming Early Learning Center, the pre-k program we joined will be remembered as a highlight of our daughters’ school careers.

Throughout the pre-k room there were themed stations with signs that say things like, “I may look like I’m playing, but while I play I’m learning ____.” There was a large dramatic play center, a sand table, stencils, a classroom library, a literacy corner, and a large table to make art and do messy projects and experiments. The kids went outside almost every day and spent a large portion of the morning doing “free choice” at the centers. All of this was led by a teacher who is committed to developmentally- appropriate practices.