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KCC leaders tell Kirkwood board: preschool seats, summer programs and partnerships expanded; waitlist eliminated
Summary
KCC (Kirkwood Early Childhood Center) leaders told the board that Adventure Club enrollment and summer sessions grew dramatically, the preschool waitlist was reduced to zero after staffing and partnership changes, and financial assistance for families expanded to increase access.
KCC leadership updated the Kirkwood R‑VII Board of Education on Sept. 23 about program growth, staffing changes and expanded family supports that district leaders said have increased access to early‑childhood services.
Dr. Bailey and Dr. Rose led the presentation and shared a short student‑narrated video of new classroom spaces. Dr. Bailey called KCC a vital entry point to the district and described programming that serves children from prenatal supports through fifth grade. Dr. Rose highlighted three concrete changes: dramatic summer enrollment growth in the Adventure Club, restructuring of site and area leadership to support more sites, and an expansion of preschool seats and financial partnerships to reduce the waitlist.
Leaders said Adventure Club summer sessions previously had been capped at about 80 students per session and this year had nearly 200 students in two‑week sessions, enabling the district to reach more families and retain seasonal staff. Dr. Rose said the program now serves more than 700 students across five campuses and that the district added a group‑lead position at each site plus an area supervisor role to provide day‑to‑day leadership and to sustain staff retention.
On preschool access, KCC reported that the Parents as Teachers program began 2023–24 with about 42 families on its waitlist, ended the year with 17, and said there is currently no waitlist after retaining parent‑educator staff and adding one new staff member. Dr. Rose also said KCC added 56 new preschool spots (one additional section at each grade level) and implemented an enhanced instructional model assigning a certified contracted teacher to every 3‑4 and 4‑5 full‑day classroom to build continuity across the year.
Leaders described financial supports for families: presenters said Financial Partnerships available to qualifying families increased substantially year over year, from roughly $85,000 to about $250,000, and that the program currently provides 26 Financial Partnerships based on free/reduced lunch criteria. Trustees asked whether the partnerships figure covered only preschool (KCC leaders said yes, the cited figure was for the Early Childhood Center), and asked that the presentation video be posted to the district website for public viewing.
Trustees praised the work. Mr. Cathy and Miss Andrews both thanked the KCC team for reducing barriers and improving access, and Miss Bangor suggested the video would be a community resource. The board indicated interest in continuing conversations about sustaining and potentially expanding supports.
What’s next: KCC leaders and the board plan further monitoring of enrollment and staffing; the presentation will be made accessible on the district website per trustees’ request.
