Harlan Kirgan
Every early pre-kindergarten program at 19 St. Landry Parish elementary schools ranked “Proficient” in the school performance scores released in November.
The early childhood education program was discussed at a meeting of the School Board’s Academic Committee meeting Tuesday.
June Inhern, supervisor of Individualized Instruction, presented the program’s performance scores along with those for Head Start and private child care centers.
The St. Landry Parish School Board is the lead agency over the early childhood programs in the parish.
“I’m proud to say that our program is really doing well,” she said.
“When we began kindergarten readiness, people used to say years ago when I started teaching that it was 4 years old, but by the time the children get to 4 years old that’s too late. We actually have to begin readiness at birth,” said.
The programs in St. Landry Parish serve infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, she said.
“We have been working with those programs to show them what they can td to prepare those children for kindergarten,” she said.
Children are admitted to the programs based need, she said.
However, she and Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said admission with tuition is planned for the next school year. Enrollment would be based on classroom space.
The public school system does not want to compete with Head Start or private child care centers, he said.
The school system spends about $3.5 million on early childhood education, he said.
“I think it is worthwhile investment,” Jenkins said.