Thousands Wait to Get Into Georgia Pre-K Classes
It’s pre-kindergarten week in Georgia. 84,000 four-year-olds are enrolled in the statewide, public pre-k program. But there are still 7,000 children on waiting lists.
Listen to the audio version of this story.
Officials with Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning say there are pre-k slots available. Spokesperson Reg Griffin says parents may have an easier time finding one if they’re willing to look outside their neighborhoods.
“Instead of locating a program that is close to home, maybe a program that is close to work that could be convenient in the sense of dropping your child off first thing in the morning, going back to the office and then coming back and getting them,” he says.
The program recently restored days that were cut from the calendar because revenues for the lottery-funded program couldn’t keep up with demand. Although expansion is on the horizon, Griffin says it’s not the most immediate goal.
“I think our next focus is going to be on possibly lowering the student/teacher ratio in those classes that we now operate,” Griffin says.
Right now, class sizes average 1:11. DECAL would like to make it 1:10. In metro Atlanta, the biggest wait for pre-k is in DeKalb County, which has almost 1500 children on the list.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Related
Top Stories
