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WJCC to consolidate Bright Beginnings pre-K into two centers; 97% of 4‑year-olds showed math growth in 2024–25
Summary
Division leaders previewed a move from five Bright Beginnings pre-K sites to two new pre-K centers with a groundbreaking set for Sept. 24; staff reported strong kindergarten-readiness gains and outlined plans for two 250-seat centers to open in 2027.
Williamsburg-James City County Schools will consolidate its Bright Beginnings pre-K program from five elementary sites into two new preschool centers, administrators said, and the division will hold a groundbreaking for the centers on Sept. 24.
Program leaders said the Bright Beginnings program currently operates 32 pre-K classrooms across five sites — Clara Byrd Baker, D.J. Montague, J.B. Blayton, Laurel Lane and Norge elementary schools — and serves at-risk children through a mix of local funding and the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). Staff said all five Bright Beginnings sites met the Virginia Quality Birth-to-Five (VQB5) quality expectations last year.
Sean Walker (program staff) and Bright Beginnings principal Mrs. Nelson highlighted kindergarten-readiness outcomes: “As of June 2025...97% showed growth from fall to spring with an average gain of 97 points” on the division’s kindergarten readiness measure for math, Walker said. For literacy-related measures, staff reported that, of the 4‑year‑olds entering kindergarten, 70% were in the “growing” or “strong” bands for letter-sound skills and 80% were in the growing/strong bands for syllable segmenting on the Virginia language and literacy screening (VALS); staff noted students remaining in the “beginning” band also showed growth that did not move them into the next band.
Walker and Nelson described family engagement: teachers conducted nearly 1,600 intentional family meetings and hosted two family engagement nights attended by more than 80 families. They said the two new pre-K centers (north and south campuses) will each have roughly 18 classrooms and combined capacity for about 500 students (approximately 250 per building). The projected opening date for the centers is 2027 after the scheduled fall 2025 groundbreaking.
Why this matters: Bright Beginnings serves high-need children, including many who qualify for special education services; administrators cited federal and state mandates (IDEA and the child-find requirement in the Code of Virginia) and VPI funding in describing the program’s role in early identification and intervention.
What’s next: The division will proceed with the scheduled groundbreaking and continue project design and construction toward a 2027 opening; staff said they will monitor longitudinal outcomes for students who attend Bright Beginnings across multiple years.
