PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT)- Gov. Bev Perdue is dipping into her own budget to keep at-risk kids on a level playing field in the classroom. Wednesday she announced she's creating 2,000 slots in the state's Pre-k program for at-risk 4-year-olds. She's moving $9 million from child care subsidy funds to pay for it. Right now about 67,000 kids in our state are eligible for the program. But it's only serving 25,000.
"Well some people were very, very angry,” said Judy Beckert-Jones, Pitt County Pre-K Program Coordinator. That was a year ago. Beckert-Jones had to tell parents they would have to send their 4-year-olds some place else.
"When they come and we would say your child has to be on a waiting list, we haven't gotten the money yet,” said Beckert-Jones.
But they never got the money. Pitt County ended up cutting a hundred kids from its program and six classrooms are still sitting empty. "We're not sure,” said Sylvia Mizzelle, Pitt County Schools Federal Program Dir. “We just hope those kids were able to find something to meet their needs since we were not able to provide it here."
Administrators say before the state budget cuts there were 245 kids in Pitt County waiting to get into the Pre-K Program. Now, there are 375 kids on the waitlist and applications are coming in all the time.
Eligible at-risk four year olds have to meet a list of requirements including learning disabilities, limited English proficiency, or limited income. Administrators say most eligible children come from families making less than a thousand dollars a month. After the 10-month program, kids enter kindergarten on a level playing field with their classmates. "For these kids, it's life-changing,” said Beckert-Jones. “Their lives will be forever different."
Administrators now have to wait to see where the 2,000 additional slots will fall. Until then, it's only a sign things could change.
"A feeling of hope again,” said Mizzelle. “We're very hopeful and hoping that we can be able to support those kids that lost the opportunity to give them another chance. A second chance."
The state Division of Child Development and Early Education hosted a webinar for local school systems Wednesday afternoon. They're working to figure out where the open slots will go.
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