Teachers and parents warn Highlands board against cutting optional VPK classrooms, citing readiness gaps
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Summary
VPK teachers and parents at the Highlands County workshop argued that eliminating optional VPK classrooms would widen readiness gaps, harm kindergarten outcomes and disproportionately affect children from low-income families; board members requested data on kindergarten readiness to inform decisions.
VPK teachers, parents and early-education advocates told the Highlands County School Board that voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) classrooms in the district provide foundational social, motor and preliteracy skills that significantly improve kindergarten readiness.
Multiple VPK teachers described classroom practices — play-based learning, gross-motor activities, socialization exercises and early literacy supports — that prepare children to meet kindergarten expectations. Teachers and parents said children who missed VPK show measurable deficits in cooperation, self-care and early literacy that persist after kindergarten entry.
A district official said the district receives limited state funding for VPK and some support through the Early Learning Coalition (ELC), and that currently the district serves roughly 120 VPK students in six classrooms. Board members asked staff to compile kindergarten-readiness and STAR early-literacy data comparing district VPK attendees with nonattendees so the board can weigh long-term outcomes against short-term budget savings.
Superintendent Dr. Longshore said the draft plan identifies optional VPK classrooms as a potential near-term reduction because the district does not receive FEFP FTE for VPK attendance; the district receives some support through the ELC but not the same K-12 funding stream. Board members and teachers discussed outreach to local childcare providers and the long-term consequences of removing district-run VPK options.
The board asked staff to provide comparative readiness metrics and the program's cost/revenue details before any final decision.
What to watch: the district's data on kindergarten readiness and any staff recommendations about preserving targeted VPK seats for high-need children.