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DeSoto schools to launch VPK, staff childcare and aftercare with foundation funding
Summary
District leaders described a new VPK program at Nocatee Elementary, staff-only childcare called Little Boots, aftercare pilots Mustang Care and Cowboy Care, and foundation funding from Barancik/Bransick and the Henson Fund supporting classrooms and scholarships.
District staff told the board the district will launch several early‑childhood and aftercare programs next school year, backed by foundation funding.
Doctor Reynolds said the Bransick Foundation is fully funding a voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) program at Nocatee Elementary School, including staffing, materials and field trip resources. The district expanded the initial plan from two or three classrooms to four classrooms for a total of 76 VPK seats because of the foundation’s financial support.
Reynolds also described two pilot aftercare programs—Mustang Care and Cowboy Care—for kindergarten through fifth grade and VPK students. The Bransick Foundation will pay for VPK students’ participation in Mustang Care, Reynolds said.
The district will start Little Boots, a childcare program for full‑time district employees’ children ages 1–3. Reynolds said the Little Boots pilot is planned at West (school) with two classrooms (one for ages 2–3 and one for ages 1–2) and three staff members.
Reynolds said the Henson Fund has agreed to fund scholarships covering 100 students in the aftercare programs for families in financial or academic need; the district received email confirmation the morning of the meeting. “The Henson Fund is pleased to fund our a hundred students…within the aftercare programs,” Reynolds said.
Board members praised the programs and the district’s community partnerships. Several members noted the availability of on‑site childcare can support employee retention and recruitment.
The presentation included grant agreement documents in the board packet; no formal vote to accept grants was recorded during the meeting. Reynolds described the programs as responses to community need and said both foundations approached the district to partner on the initiatives.
