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Blossoms director reports enrollment rise, attendance gains and expanded services
Summary
At the CCSD 168 board meeting, Jerry Lading, director of Blossoms, said enrollment rose from 171 to 181, outlined four program streams (Preschool for All, Birth-to-3, Early Childhood SED, inclusive classrooms), and highlighted monitoring, staff supervision, and attendance-improvement efforts.
Jerry Lading, director of Blossoms and assistant principal, told the CCSD 168 Board of Education that the early-childhood program has expanded enrollment and is strengthening classroom practices.
"So our enrollment — last year around this time we were at 171; as of today our enrollment is at 181," Lading said, noting changes to screening cadence and parent orientation that he said helped retain families. He described four program streams operating at Blossoms, including Preschool for All, Birth-to-3, and an Early Childhood special education (SED) classroom, and said some classrooms are inclusive, combining general education students and students with individualized education programs.
Lading summarized monitoring and supervision practices used to maintain program fidelity: weekly planning, home-visit observation, family-file reviews, group-connection observations every six months, and twice-monthly reflective supervision meetings with staff. He said two senior educators are carrying a heavy workload and praised staff efforts.
On attendance, Lading presented the program's spring figures and improvements: 60% of students had fewer than eight days absent; 34% had more than eight but fewer than 17 absences; and a smaller share (described as 6%) fell into a higher-absence tier. He also said perfect-attendance counts rose from two in the fall semester to 10 this spring.
Lading described classroom practices and curriculum: "We have used the Creative Curriculum, which focuses on the whole child," he said, and noted a play-based approach with goals across literacy, math, social-emotional learning and motor skills. He added that the program has integrated early STEM experiences and participated in professional development with peer educators.
The presentation included staff and student recognitions (multiple individual students named, and an April 2026 district employee award to Elliott Thorpe at Laskin's Early Learning Center) and photos from recent events and a Black History program. Lading said the program submitted a self-study and is preparing documentation required for upcoming reviews.
The board did not take formal action on program staffing or funding during the report; next steps described by the presenter include continued monitoring, ongoing professional development, and data-driven adjustments to classroom assignments and screening processes.
