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Grants Pass SD 7 leaders outline early-learning expansion as preschool demand outpaces capacity
Summary
District and ESD coordinators described a growing early-learning program that serves infants through 5-year-olds, reported limited classroom and staffing capacity, and said playgroups and on-site free childcare helped boost participation. Board members discussed advocacy and possible district support.
Grants Pass School District 7 officers and partners on Feb. 11 briefed the school board on an expanding early-learning program aimed at increasing preschool access for local families.
Annie Blanchard, the districtearly-childhood coordinator, told the board the programwhich she said nurtures parent-child bonds and aims to increase equitable accesshad grown its preschool enrollment to 32 (from 36 at the start of the year) and run 25 families through playgroups. She said 49.3 percent of the community is SNAP-eligible, that many families face staffing and space barriers, and that the district and partners are piloting services for younger children, including two-year-olds.
Shannon Bilbo, program coordinator for Josephine County early-intervention services at Southern Oregon ESD, described services for children with disabilities and early screening and said the ESD helps staff the classroom. Bilbo and Blanchard said the program uses on-site childcare to remove familieschildcare barriers and added that the district has tracked early indicators that children who attended playgroups scored higher on midyear literacy screeners.
Blanchard summarized attendance and referral data and said about 16 percent of enrolled children are in the referral process for additional services; she described how the program hands off children to kindergarten teachers with Individual Family Service Plans and early intervention supports in place.
Board members asked about selection and sustainability: Member Schmidt asked how the program prioritizes families when slots are scarce. Blanchard described a points-based triage that mirrors Head Start criteria (housing instability, income, siblings already enrolled), with a lottery for remaining slots.
Board members also asked how the board could help. Staff suggested advocacy at the state level and outreach to private donors and community funders; board members agreed a letter of support and help with publicizing the program could assist near-term funding and recruitment.
The presentation concluded with a reminder that early intervention work is data-informed and that program staff will continue tracking outcomes and refining entry and staffing models.
