At its regular meeting, the Rowan County Board of Education heard a presentation about a new traveling preschool classroom called the Fox Mobile, a rehabilitated bus intended for community outreach to improve kindergarten readiness.

The traveling classroom, showcased by preschool staff, was converted from a bus “coming off the road” and outfitted as a micro preschool after the district received a grant from the Office of Special Education Early Learning within the Kentucky Department of Education, presenters said. The bus was refurbished locally by a former parent, identified in the meeting as Casey Berry.

“It's a micro preschool classroom on wheels that will be out in the community starting very soon,” said Ms. Ingles, identified in the meeting as a preschool staff member, explaining that the program aims to give families a sample of classroom activities and to recruit children who are not yet enrolled. A district staff member thanked Berry and said the board and a district staffer provided the retired bus for the project.

Presenters said teachers have already taken small groups of children aboard for short lessons; students enjoyed the space but were surprised that the bus does not actually drive during on-site visits. The district described the vehicle as primarily a recruitment and outreach tool that will be used with community partners.

District staff said the bus was gifted to the program and rehabilitated locally; the original arrival of the vehicle at a private residence and the volunteer labor by community members were noted as part of the project’s backstory. The meeting presentation did not include a detailed deployment schedule or an exact operating budget.

Board members were invited to view the vehicle and staff encouraged anyone interested in seeing the Fox Mobile to contact the preschool program for a demonstration.